


A Wander Into Fate

by AskelltyPhobia



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Biting, Blood Drinking, Eventual Smut, Explicit Detail of Vampire Feeding, Forced Kissing, Kidnapping, M/M, Masturbation, Smut Begins At Chapter 7, SpicyKustard, Thrall Sans, Underfell Muffet (Undertale), Underfell Papyrus (Undertale), Underfell Sans (Undertale), Vampire Edge, Vampire Red, confusing feelings, eventual spicykustard, vampire
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-27
Updated: 2020-12-13
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:41:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 35,007
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26682364
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AskelltyPhobia/pseuds/AskelltyPhobia
Summary: Sans, the quiet local poet, has had his run in life, from being accused of witchcraft by his brother's mentor, to raising his brother on his own. However, when Sans is wrapped (unwillingly) up in the interest of the mysterious pair of dark, brooding skeletons, he finds himself enthralled.
Relationships: Papyrus/Sans (Undertale), Sans/Sans (Undertale)
Comments: 19
Kudos: 107





	1. Sunday

**Author's Note:**

> Twitter: @askelltybones (18+)
> 
> Spicykustard consumed me.

The town bustled with noise that Sunday. Sans has never been the church-going type, so the church bells merely signaled the passage of time to him. The morning bells, four strikes, were his time to awaken. The afternoon bells, eight strikes, signaled lunchtime. Finally, the midnight bell, 12 strikes, signaled his time for bed, if not earlier.  
That afternoon, at the eighth strike of the bells, Sans finally sat at the concrete seating at the large town fountain. It was an overcast day, the clouds were heavy with rain, not yet relieved of its weight. It was going to rain soon, Sans blinked peacefully, relieved at the thought of rain.

The town and the land had been on a dry spell lately. The local dryads and witches had been trying to figure out why, but Sans supposed they finally figured out how to bring the rain with enough practice in their magic. Sans sighed, gazing across the square, Sans watched the townspeople move. Watching things always gave him inspiration. He was a poet. Locally, he was rather well known for his writings ending up in leather within the library, where his name was written in his own dark blue hue. He supposed being the only local author, even just of his silly short stories and vented words, was something everybody liked. The town had an odd sense of pride in itself. Sometimes he saw his books in the hands of wandering travelers through the town as well. That always made him feel a bit proud.

_He could write about pride _? He thought to himself a moment, humming and tapping the dull end of a pencil against his teeth. _He could write about his little brother again _? No, he’s already done that... But he didn’t publish the last two about him when he was little… Sans gave a side-eye, and he caught something in his gaze. A dark crimson, a color that was stark against the duller colors of the town. Sans himself stood out with his blues, but that color, the color of the moon during the night of Dragon’s Mouth, it was striking  
He raised his head, blinking as he got a good look at the eyes that met him. Though as quickly as he caught them, they looked away.____

_____ _

That skeleton, if he remembered correctly, was named Red. He was a shorter skeleton, though it wasn’t difficult to see he was still slightly taller then Sans himself. He was broader too, though he still remained quite handsome. Then again, Sans found himself finding many skeletons in the town quite handsome, perhaps he was just a hopeless romantic. However, as his eyes dragged discreetly back to the red-clad skeleton, only to find there were two. 

_____ _

Rarely did Sans ever see those two apart, rarely did he see them in general. They usually hid in their regal mansion at the outskirts of the city limits, where the city wall tapered into tall, pillared rubble. Sans couldn’t remember if he had ever seen them in the bright, sunny daytime without their cloaks that blocked the sun’s glittering gaze from their faces.  
Sans gave a curious hum to himself. Both of them seemed to be speaking. Red had a wide, sharp-toothed grin, that one sharp golden tooth at the left of his mouth glinted specifically in his directions. As Sans looked to the other, he found himself craning his neck to get the best look. This one was tall, almost a spire above his brother, among civilians milling about beside them. He was also quite handsome. Shapely face and form, the tall skeleton had those glittering slitted eyelights that said enough about him without the use of muscle and anymore intimidating garnet hues. He had broad shoulders, a broad ribcage, overall, he was shaped like an upside-down triangle.

_____ _

Sans blushed once more, tossing up his leg onto the fountain where he sat, effectively turning his front away from the pair of skeletons, and towards the fountain spilling out water into itself. Sans tried to calm the blue in his face, writing mindlessly to keep from thinking of anything else. He didn’t like being so hopeless in romanticizing all the handsome skeletons he saw daily. Perhaps he should get out more, meet people.

_____ _

Too much work. He shook his head, continuing to write without much of a though. The end result didn’t make much sense. It was a mess of disorderly words with no such meaning other than “I have no thoughts, but I must write”.

_____ _

Sans sighed gently, before a dark shadow cast over him.

_____ _

“Looks like it’s going to rain.” A voice echoed in his head as he heard it, unlike anything he had ever heard before. A gravelly voice, but still having that sliver of gentleness, yet it put Sans on edge. He looked over, finding it oddly frightening to see those teeth so close to him. He kept a safe distance away, Red did, but it felt like his teeth were at Sans’s throat. He shook away the uneasy feeling, surely unfounded he knew, and he laughed gently, “I suppose.” He looked towards the horizon where the mountains kissed the clouds, and he watched the rain-heavy fog roll down the mountains like creeping mangled fingers. In his quick glance, Edge was nowhere in sight.  
“I do wonder when it’ll drop though. The sun wasn’t out yesterday either.”

_____ _

“Yesterday was the day of Dragon’s Mouth.” Red nodded, and Sans added, “It didn’t rain yesterday, they say it’s bad luck.”

_____ _

The day of Dragon’s Mouth was a day tinted red. As if a dragon swallowed the sun, and it glowed from within its mouth. When night fell, the dragon spat the sun below the horizon and took the moon into its red maw.

_____ _

“Bad luck?” Red gave a side-eye, much to the amusement of Sans.

_____ _

“It’s always supposed to rain on the day of Dragon’s Mouth. If it doesn’t, the dryads get weak.” Sans nodded, “Though, that’s just church speak.” Sans gave a matching blue side-eye to Red’s towards the church, which towered over the square easily. Sans’s brother always relayed the information he learned as an altar boy, back to Sans, who would listen, and then it would go right out the other side of his head never to be thought of again. Unless it was fun information to think about of course, like the superstitions and frights of the town.

_____ _

Sans had once adopted a black cat because he knew it would frighten his fellow townsfolk. The cat was his pride and joy. He named her Fellow.

_____ _

“Hm, I don’t know if I quite believe in all of that.” Red rolled his eyes lightly, and Sans nodded with a shrug. “Neither do I, but I just find it interesting of course.” He tilted his head, smiling lightly as he cast an eye towards the bread stand. “I just hope it doesn’t rain on the poor baker man.” Sans sighed as he watched the baker scramble to cover up his stock in the shelter of a tent, shared with a farmer who graciously made room.

_____ _

Red laughed aloud. The gravel in his voice seemed to roll pleasantly over Sans’s senses like the lapping of a river over his skull. He couldn’t be enraptured now, surely. Sans shook his head, “You’re Red, right? The blue skeleton asked, a softness in his voice that flickered with a curiosity that seemed to make Red quirk.

_____ _

He nodded, the gold tooth glistened in the dim gray light. “Correct. And you are…” He paused for a quick second, “The poet, Sans?” Red quirked his brow. Sans nodded, “Correct.” He parroted Red with quite the hint of a tease, and Red gave him a side-eye of notice.

_____ _

“What brings you?” Sans finally turned back to Red with a quirk in his form. His pants ruffled as he crossed his legs, his white blouse, which tapered into sheer at the sleeves, ruffled along with it as Sans brushed it of humidity. This blouse hadn’t been the best to wear out in the wet weather he supposed. But it was quite pretty.  
“I just wanted to meet the poet I hear so often about. The opinions of you are so polarizing, I wanted to hear from you for myself.” Red had this sense about him, that Sans recognized as some sort of pride. ‘Oh, look at me, I’m not following the crowd, I’ll speak with the spooky lonely poet,’ Sans purred to himself as he recognized the glimmer in Red’s ruby tinted face.

_____ _

“Oh, opinions? What have you heard, do tell?” Sans couldn’t help but laugh. Oh, opinions, opinions, he spun the word in his mind like some sort of platter that never seemed to not amuse him. The town liked having their opinions.

_____ _

“I hear a lot of things, most prominently that you’re a witch?” Red seemed to quirk his brow. Sans gave a loud laugh, he couldn’t help it, he covered his mouth with his notebook.  
“So it’s a lie?” Red could already tell, snickering to himself.

_____ _

“Obviously.” Sans lowered his notebook from his mouth, smiling to Red with some sort of challenge, “why take so much interest?”

_____ _

“So many questions?” Red teased right back, before Sans gave him a knowing leer, “ _You _came up to _me _.” Red shrugged, nodding his head, “Suppose I did.” He snickered.____

_____ _

_____ _

_____ _

“Excuse my interruption of your day, I just thought you looked like you need company.”

_____ _

_____ _

_____ _

“Company?”

_____ _

_____ _

_____ _

“Well, yes.” It was as if Red had no shame, no consequence, or embarrassment of coming up to a complete stranger and inserting himself into their day like a wedge. It was endearing in a way, something Sans himself had never quite experienced. His little brother had always been a talkative one, but Sans was always quiet, making his own way through with his own goal to never get in the way of anybody else.

_____ _

_____ _

_____ _

“Hm, peculiar.” Sans blinked, quirking his brow before he turned his head. “Well, I must head to the mill for some parchment before the rainstorms in. Would you like to carry on?” Sans stood up as he brushed off his pants of dust and paused in front of Red, who seemed suddenly excited. Sans could have laughed at that expression. Red looked like he could probably carry a good couple packs of parchment easily, and Sans was enjoying Red’s cocksure attitude. It was fun watching those teeth speak.

_____ _

_____ _

_____ _

Red stood up with a grin, standing beside Sans with that charming and a stature that just screamed of his rich man’s status. “I’d like that.”

_____ _

_____ _

_____ _

Sans smirked, and they walked across the square in comfortable silence. They didn’t speak until they were on the path through the meadows. The ambrosial smell of heather and lavender blew past them in the wind, along with the scent of rain from the distance. It was going to drop soon, Sans could just feel it.

_____ _

_____ _

_____ _

“I’ve always liked it in the meadows. Nobody’s ever around, it’s all silent.” Red lamented gently beside Sans. The blue skeleton looked over to him with a curious blink. “You don’t like the city?”

_____ _

_____ _

_____ _

“Not at all really. Too many people, I like it when it’s all silent, where I can do whatever I want.” Red purred as he grazed past Sans to the spacious meadows, dappled with tiny blotches of assorted groves of trees. Sans nodded, “Understandable. I lived in the city when I was young with my little brother. Living where I do now, I much prefer staying away from it.”

_____ _

_____ _

_____ _

Red gave him a curious look. “But of course, seeing it bustle every Sunday to get my fresh necessities and write at the fountain is nice.” Sans gazed up at a magnolia tree that they passed under. It was a great big green thing, slowly growing brown and losing its white blossoms as autumn weather settled in.

_____ _

_____ _

_____ _

“You have a little brother?”

_____ _

_____ _

_____ _

“Yes, but he lives in the dormitories.” Sans tried to keep his tone light and happy. “His name’s Papyrus. He’s this tall, happy thing.” He shook his head as he laughed, “Sorry, I just enjoy talking about him.” He tried to hide the thoughts of loneliness while talking about his brother.

_____ _

_____ _

_____ _

He had raised him for most of his life. Mom had passed when both of them were quite young, Sans barely remembered her, and Papyrus was still swaddled. Dad ran off after Sans got his first job at fourteen. He remembered his stupid face very well. Papyrus didn’t remember him at all. Sans was thankful Papyrus didn’t remember much of anything other than his happy memories.

_____ _

_____ _

_____ _

“He seems charming.” Red laughed lightly. “He is, if not a bit naive.” Sans shrugged, sharing a laugh with Red as they passed through a thinner path, not usually walked, usually just crossed over by wagons.

_____ _

_____ _

_____ _

“What about your brother?” Sans inquired lightly. “At least, word around town is that he’s your brother.” He quickly added, mostly to exonerate him of the embarrassment of being wrong. 

_____ _

_____ _

_____ _

“Edge?” Red asked, before giving a laugh. “He’s an asshole.” Red laughed loudly, loud compared to the silence of the meadow. “You’d probably like him, but trust me, he’s a bit of an ass.” Red waved his hand dismissively. They laughed together for a moment, “I should’ve known.”

_____ _

_____ _

_____ _

_____ _

_____ _

_____ _

Parchment in hand, wrapped up in thin fabrics to make the walk back easier, Sans carried most of it, he was able to carry his own, though much to his enjoyment Red still insisted to carry two of the packs of parchment.

_____ _

_____ _

_____ _

Rain began to sprinkle in the meadow, and Sans looked up to assess when the rain would become heavy. He paused as he felt the rain trickle onto his skull. He gasped softly as he looked up, but Red rose his arm, cloak in hand, as he covered Sans up from the rain. Sans looked over to him, but Red was pulling up the hood of his cloak, not even looking at him until he has finally done pulling up his hood.

_____ _

_____ _

_____ _

“T-thank you,” Sans mumbled lightly as he took the cloak and wrapped put it over his head like a hood, and Red took back his own arm. “Of course. I don’t want you getting a cold.” Red grinned, and that was enough to make Sans blush his dark blue. He hid his blush as he looked away, laughing lightly. 

_____ _

_____ _

_____ _

Red didn’t let it on that he noticed, so Sans felt safe enough that Red didn’t quite care, or best case scenario, didn’t notice. He watched rain grow heavier in front of them. He felt it pelt on the cloak hood, and he grew uneasy. It was a powerful rain, seeming as though the moon was sending vengeance from its place within the dragon’s teeth that previous day 

_____ _

_____ _

_____ _

They reached the magnolia tree that arched over the trail. Sans sighed, looking up at it, where the dense leaves shielded them from the rain. He paused for a quick moment, but in the moment, he felt his balance be ripped out from under him. He yelped, before being lifted up and was slammed against the tree, sparking a sharp pain throughout his body. He let out a loud groan of protest, he would have screamed if he was allowed to, but he felt teeth clash against his own and he shook violently, ripping his fingers down Red’s shoulders, his feet hiked up to kick, he felt both land with cracks against Red’s own legs, but he did nothing that gave way to a falter.

_____ _

_____ _

_____ _

Sans gargled on an acrid fluid that filled his mouth, it burned for a moment, before turning a simple hot buzz, and finally, below his shoulders, he felt nothing. His legs buckled underneath him, and his mouth was finally freed. He gagged, spitting out the fluid that had been forced into his mouth onto the ground before Red pushed him back against the tree. “Sorry ‘bout this, blue,” Red whispered, and Sans felt Red’s tongue lap up against the side of his skull. “I told you my brother was an asshole.”

_____ _

_____ _

_____ _

Sans couldn’t register those words before there was a piercing, almost deathly pain in his neck. He let out a choked cry, trying to scramble his limbs, hatefully biting and clawing at whatever he could latch onto while there was a buzzing numbness in his legs, before suddenly, the world speckled into darkness, a black too deep for him to snap out of. He felt his body go numb.

_____ _

_____ _

_____ _


	2. Enthralled

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans wakes up in unfamiliar surroundings. The day is downhill from there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Got some references pinned on Twitter (18+) : @askelltybones  
> Shamelessly promoting it~
> 
> Anyway, this chapter's a lil bit longer, filled with Sans being tossed around, so enjoy~

_“What’s that, mama?” Sans’s own voice seemed warped in his head, he felt small, much smaller then he was. His hands were small. He was a child again. He couldn’t see his mother’s face, she was hidden in the harsh shine of the sun above them. Papyrus was swaddled up and asleep at her chest. “That’s the vampire, dear.” His mother’s voice wasn’t his mothers. He didn’t know where this voice came from. Perhaps he was just comparing someone else’s voice to replace the voice of his mother who he barely remembered. ___

___“A vampire?” ____ _

_____“Mh-hm. A vampire.” ____ _ _ _

_______“Isn’t she scared?” ____ _ _ _ _ _

_________He pointed to the book in his lap, where the illustration of a girl and a vampire stood. She had this deadpan expression on her face, the charcoal and graphite on the page was made in intricate details scrawled all across words and page edges. ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________“You never show fear in front of a vampire, dear.” ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________“Why?” ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________“Well…” His mother laughed lightly, “You never show your fear to a vampire because,” she snapped her teeth with a ‘chomp’ sound, lightly shaking Sans as he let out a frightened high-pitched squeak, before letting out an excited laugh. ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Sans’s eyes snapped open, blinded for a moment as he jolted. His breath was heavy as if he’d been frightened. He never slept on his back, he noticed that as he woke up on his back. Staring up at a ceiling that wasn’t his own. He blinked, trying to clear away the blinding light from his eyes.  
His hands were crossed over his chest, as he rose up, letting his arms flop tiredly, he took in a breath, and realized that his left wrist felt tight, as if something were wrapped around it.  
Some sort of silk. Like spider webs had been turned to binds. Sans traced the binds in a thin red lace, up to a headboard that engraved with the vision of a goddess, an angular form was thin and proportioned. Her body was surrounded by wolves who lay in protection of her.  
Sans shook, this wasn’t his home. His home wasn’t even as decorated as this one bedroom. His own bed was barely a fraction of size compared to this bed. This bed could fit three kings, and the canopy hung heavy in sheer curtains, hung up to the columns on each corner of the bed. He had to admit, it was beautiful, but it wasn’t his own, and he had no idea where he was. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Sans finally turned his head towards the end of his bed, and he felt the fear whelm up in his body as a door creaked open on the other end of the room. His exhale of breath was audible for a moment before he snapped his mouth shut and tensed, taking his dream mother’s advice and keeping his face straight, but he knew his eyelights gave him away. How could he not completely hide his fear, when the tall, terrifyingly sharp skeleton, whom he knew as Edge, stared right back at him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Oh, you are awake.” Edge was calm, as if he didn’t have a kidnapped skeleton sitting in a bed right in front of him. “Good morning.” His voice was gentle in the room, every word was clear compared to the quietness of the room._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Edge took a step forwards, and the floor underneath him creaked, Sans watched on tenterhooks as Edge glared at a floorboard, and continued to walk, face settling back into calm. He paused at the side of the bed, Sans leaned away, eyes squinted with venom and suspicion. “You must be thirsty, Red is awfully copious with his poisons, it tends to dry the mouth.” Edge sighed as he rolled his eyes, placing a glass of water onto the nightstand beside the bed._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Sans took in a breath, looking between the glass of water and Edge with way too much suspicion to not be noticed by Edge. “It’s not drugged. I don’t quite think you’ll need any more of that.” He seemed kind of like he was snickering. Sans couldn’t even muster a growl, he was just confused._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Edge sat down at the side of the bed, eyes trace over Sans as he thought of something to say. “Do you have any questions? You seem like the cat’s got your tongue.” Edge asked he maintained distance, much to Sans’s relief, at least he was somewhat respectful despite having Sans tied up in a bed, kidnapped, and not knowing where the hell he was._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Why did Red bite me…?” His voice was hoarse as if there was a dessert that has made a home in his mouth. The last thing he remembered was the feeling of Red’s teeth dug in his vertebrae, a painful thing. His neck still felt like it was buzzing even now. In the corner of his eyes, the mirror reflected him, bandages wrapped around his vertebrae._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Edge seemed to think for a moment, before reaching for the glass of water and handing it to Sans with the same courtesy of distance. With a shaky hand, Sans took the glass from Edge, and curled up against the headboard, sipping at the glass of water with a bit too much suspicion for Edge to handle before he let out a huff._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“We are vampires, you see.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Sans coughed, covering his mouth, fear running wild, Edge seemed to know what kind of fear was pulsing through the smaller skeleton. “That doesn’t mean you’re a vampire now, it just means you’re enthralled.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“That doesn’t make me feel better!” Sans’s voice was embarrassingly high-pitched, and he lowered his head, hiding his face behind his raised knees._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Edge was silent for a moment, before he gently stood up, his hand was gentle as took up the bindings between Sans’s left wrist and the headboard. “I suppose you don’t need to be bound anymore.” Edge’s voice was far too gentle for his face, it was almost as if his entire form was meant to be some sort of intimidation, with a trap in his body, gentle voice as bait._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Sans recoiled as Edge reached for his wrist, which Edge flinched away at. “Oh, do you not want me to untie you?” He tilted his head with confusion. Much to Sans’s chagrin, he felt his own face heat up with blush, and he looked away, offering his wrist with a hiss._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Edge’s claws fingers, deceivingly soft despite their appearance, took up his hand and undid the intricate bindings that bound Sans to the bed’s headboard._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“This was just to make sure you didn’t harm yourself when you woke up.” Edge commented, tossing away the strings with very little care for the strings, before handing Sans back his own wrist._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“My apologies for all the stress. I did not intend to make this decision too hastily.” Edge cast a glare towards the cracked open door, where there was nothing Sans could see.  
“Anymore questions?” Edge scooted away, allowing Sans his comfort room. Sans could at least appreciate Edge’s courtesy. Sans took a sip of water, glaring at Edge past the brim of his glass. “Why am I in a dress?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Ask Red He didn’t throw away our last thrall’s clothes.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“So I’m not the only one?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“You’re the second. He’s not… Around anymore.” Edge looked away for a moment, and Sans felt a knot in his false throat, before nodding, and accepting what he’d been told, deciding not to question it._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Why me?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Edge paused, seeming to try and think about and answer, he seemed to have one, he just kept his mouth shut. Sans didn’t want to get onto Edge’s bad side, he also kind of looked like a kicked puppy, and Sans suddenly felt quite guilty. “You’re Edge, right?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Edge nodded, “I suppose Red talked about me.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“He called you an asshole.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Figures.” Edge once again glared at the cracked-open door where there was a snickering noise echoing in the corridor. “Are you hungry?” Edge asked finally, and Sans felt his body react positively to the mention to food, his false stomach let out a yearning growl, and evidently, that was all the answer Edge needed before he stood up._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“I’ll send Red in to accompany you. You can continue to question him. Otherwise, send that _bastard _to me.” Edge’s voice was soft to Sans compared to the way he growled about his brother, Sans blinked, nodding and brushing his arm as he watched the tall skeleton stalk out of the room, crossing the creaky floorboard on the way.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________Then Sans was alone. He blinked slowly, looking down at himself. Dressed in the same soft blue hues, Sans was grateful this dress wasn’t some ornate, regal thing, just simple and one layer that would be easy to breathe through. Sans brushed his fingers down the fabric, and he slowly took in the heavy scent of cedar and cinnamon, a scent that soothed him into the headboard as he watched Red toss the door open, grinning at Sans with that hellish, toothy glimmer._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________Sans growled, but Red didn’t even seem to notice. “How are you?” Red asked, grinning as he hopped up onto the bed, luckily only in socks so that the bed wouldn’t be dirty. He stood over Sans with that grin, his crimson-shadowed face seemed as if he had some sort of terror planned for Sans. But Sans remained to only give away his sour attitude to Red.  
“Don’t look so angry. It was Edge who wanted you. I was just the one to get you.” Red rolled his eyes, smirking, as if what he said would make Sans feel any better. “I’m not your fucking thrall!” Sans growled, leaping up from where he lay and pinning Red underneath him, only to be tossed onto his side as if he weighed nothing, Red once again over him, but this time, his teeth pressed to Sans’s neck, frightening the skeleton back into stillness._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“I think otherwise. _Know _otherwise, actually.” Red tilted his head, Sans shook as he felt that tongue slide up his neck and over the side of his cheek before Red rose back up, and grinned down at him. Sans tried to hide his face, how could he not flush when such things were done to him? But Red seemed deadset on teasing him.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“I promise we’re not mean, we just like to tease. Well, me specifically.” Red shrugged, but Sans glared up at him through his fingers still. “You are mean,” Sans grumbled. Red didn’t have any smart-mouthed answers, just another shrug._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Get off me.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“No, I don’t think I will. You’re awfully soft for a rigid poet. No wonder Edge seems to like you so much.” Red hummed as he crossed his arms over Sans’s chest. The blue skeleton flushed even deeper, kicking his leg, but he didn’t reach anything._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“I could lay here forever, you feel like a cloud.” Red cooed, purring as his grin seemed to settle slowly, and his breathing slowed before he shook his head. “I could fall asleep here… But sadly I can’t sleep. Just laze about.” Red finally pushed himself off of Sans, whom he dragged up by his wrist. Onto his feet, Sans shuffled, gasping as he almost fell over from the surprise. Red caught him though, and Sans tried to hide his blush within the wool on his shoulders._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Quite clumsy too. Edge always had a thing for the helpless.” Red snickered, rolling his eyes, before dragging Sans along by his wrist. “Follow me, please, Edge asked me to show you around.” Red grinned back at Sans with that terrible shit-eating grin that made Sans’s bones quiver with discomfort._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Red led Sans down the corridors of the mansion. It was spacious, almost as if it were built by a king. Hell, Sans would have sworn it was._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“I’m assuming libraries are your thing?” Red asked as he led Sans down a spiral staircase. It creaked under his feet, but Red didn’t even seem to notice. Sans nodded, “sure.” Red took that as more enthusiastic yes then Sans was intending, and he took a hold of Sans’s hip with way too much expertise._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________He tossed Sans down the stairs, the smaller skeleton letting out a yelp, but Red didn’t let him fall flat onto his ass. Instead, Red was already at the bottom of the stairs, catching Sans with ease, much to the fright of Sans who covered his face, shaking with fear._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Oh don’t be frightened so much, I wouldn’t intentionally throw you on the ground.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“It’s the fact that you can that frightens me.” Sans huffed, keeping his face covered in his hand as he tried not to let out his full feeling of terror run full-force through his body. If he did that, he’d turn into one of those yapping dog that shook when the weather was even slightly less then smoldering. He might as well, but then he’d be embarrassed._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Do you want me to let you down?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“No.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“No?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“I’ll fall.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Red laughed at that as he began to walk, his steps were planned and fluid, as if walking with a weight in his arms were second nature. Hell, perhaps that was the case, Sans wouldn’t doubt it. Though when that weight was him, he feared it. He walked as if there was no weight at all._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Sans envied to be as weightless as Red seemed to carry him like. He slightly hoped that Red didn’t feel any of his weight at all. That was best-case scenario. Weightless, Sans just wanted to be carried. If all he could do was be victim, he at least expected to be treated like he was special. He supposed that was a rather odd way of thinking it, but Sans decided it was rational. What he decided, went._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Edge made sure to make you a little enclave to be comfortable in. He planned everything out for your arrival.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Why does he like me so much?” With Edge’s silence, Sans at least assumed that Red could have some sort of answer for him. However, Red shared his brother’s silence to the question, shrugging. He didn’t have many answers. Sans huffed, looking away._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________No such answer. Of course. Because things can’t be simple._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Sans looked down, the floor was floral, dark red, and black-hued, with such pretty green leaves and yellow leaves to lace across the roses and magnolias that dappled the carpet. The mansion was truly beautiful, and as far as Sans could see, the grounds outside it were just as._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“What day is it?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Monday.” Red nodded, glancing down at Sans as he turned a corner to the left._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Monday. Sans realized that Papyrus would be missing him. They always had lunch together on Monday afternoons when everything was busy, and they could people watch. Sans felt anxiety tug at his stomach. What would Papyrus do now that Sans was missing with so little explanation? Sans blinked slowly, looking down. Sans also missed his cat. Fellow would be worried sick, she hated being alone in the house for longer than five hours, he couldn’t imagine the sickly thing she’d be after a day. Once again, anxiety, this time mixed with fear, made a cold sweat pass through his skull. He gave a silent sigh, but it seemed nothing passed the senses of the vampires._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Suddenly so unhappy?” Red’s half question was tinted with slight concern. Obviously, the emotion of a thrall affected that of the vampire too, even if only in small margins, if Sans’s assessments were to be correct._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Can I at least get my cat if I’m expected to stay here? Or write to my little brother?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Red seemed to consider it for a moment, grin faltering as he questioned it. He looked down, humming lowly. “That’s a question for Edge, though if you pry hard enough, I bet he’ll let you.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Edge seemed to be the calmer of the two, even if slightly more intimidating. Red had the teeth, Edge had the appearance. Who had the brains, Sans still needed to assess them more. Red seemed confident, however. “Maybe if you cry, he’ll accept your request instantly.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Not happening.” Sans rolled his eyes, letting out a huff, turning his head away. Red shrugged, “I’m just saying. If he liked you so much he’ll do anything.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“But I’m not going to cry for him.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Will you cry for me?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“No.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Such a firm no made Red laugh loudly, a hearty laugh that made Sans’s nonexistent ears hurt. He huffed. Turning his head out of embarrassment. This vampire really was on his last nerve. He puffed, eyeing away and covering his neck with the shawl around his shoulders. No use tempting this vampire even further, he already seemed so adored to him.  
“We’re here.” Red finally chirped, setting Sans down surprisingly gently, perhaps surprising gentleness ran in the family, Sans figured so._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Should’ve seen how Edge so diligently made up a little spot for you to read in. It’s like he was hoping you’d like it here right away.” Red rolled his eyes with a show of a thick red ecto-tongue in a fake gag, before leading Sans by the tapering sheer of his sleeves into the vast, tall library room. It had two stories, two rolling ladders that rolled around the room and across its bookshelves on each end made their access easy, but one balcony from the second story overhead parted the room by barely more than a meter or two. Sans saw in the corner, by a broad, yellow-painted window, there a cozy space had been made. Warm woolen rug with a comfortable looking chair, draped also in pale gray wool.  
Sans assumed Edge had guessed about his love of wool, considering woolen shawls were about the only constant thing he wore other than the color blues._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Oh, is this the thrall that the master has brought?” A voice whispered from above them, but It echoed so oddly Sans almost thought he’d imagined it. Red moved away, his grin disappearing, as did the rest of him. Sans jolted at Red’s sudden leave, and he shook as he looked up._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________At first, there were two eyes that he could see, then six, then eight. Eight black eyes that stared down at him from a vast, glittering spiderweb. Holding those eyes was a fuzzy purple head, and a slim purple clad body, dressed in the red that matched the vampires._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Sans felt himself shake as he stared up at her, she was something that frightened him. She had the look of something that knew everything._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________She came down on a long white web, glittering in the sunlight that cast through the wide windows from the second floor. She soon swung in front of him, all eyes on him, hidden by one set of rounded specs. The hair on her head tied up and wildly messy even so, spun in a pair of buns, glittered just as the webs did in the sun. She gave a good couple second of staring, surely noticing Sans’s discomfort before she smirked a pair of surely poisoned fangs. “Not bad. He’s always picked very pretty ones.” She finally grinned, “I bet you’re tasty.” Every eye widened as she leaned in close. Sans leaned away, breath hitching in a choked gasp as her clawed fingers traced up to his neck. Sans felt his soulbeat quicken._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Too bad you’re already bound. If I had seen you first, you’d have been in my web much sooner.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Sans assumed the spider would have been much less kind to him then Edge was. He already suspected the lumps in her webs were some unfortunate victims._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Don’t frighten my thrall, Muffet.” A sharp growl made Sans leap with a yelp, whirling halfway around to find the source of the voice, though in the back of his mind he already knew._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Edge, forebodingly tall in the dark archway of the corridor into the library, glaring daggers past Sans to the spider in confrontation. His face was tilted upwards, almost as if he wanted to look taller as if he needed it. Sans’s jaw tightened, he felt like he was in trouble, even if he knew he wasn’t._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Muffet snickered beside his skull, Sans could just see her spindly eight limbs climbing back up her web. “Well, don’t leave him a stranger to me. When you grow bored of him, I’d love to have a taste.” Her tongue flickered out her sharp teeth and it made Sans flinch, he tensed, lowering his eyes down from Muffet as he crossed his arms._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Edge puffed, slitted eyelights watching Muffet’s elegant form rise out of sight, hiding in her web, which crawled with spiders, who followed her like ducklings. As Muffet disappeared, Edge’s eyelights softened, casting down to Sans as he took a step forwards. “Apologies for my resident's awfully rude interactions.” Edge growled as he gave a hinting glare at the spider web. No reply came._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“I do hope you understand, it’s been a long time since we’ve had a mortal in our presence. She in particular may be quite tempted.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Sans didn’t reply, he wasn’t in any way soothed, he stared up at Edge, and the tall skeleton was not unaware of his unease. “You’ll have nothing to fear, though.” He gave a gentle quirk of his fangs, “you have my word.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“How meaningful is your word, then?” Sans challenged, heaving in a breath as he stared up at the vampire. He saw a flash in Edge’s eyelights, but it wasn’t angry. No, it was humored. He tensed as he stood his ground._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________The way Edge seemed to ripple as he chuckled made Sans feel weak._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“A vampire can not lie, little bluebird.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Sans felt the breath leave his body as he seemed to become entranced in Edge’s pure red eyelights. They were the eyes of someone who’s mind spun wonders not even Sans could ever dream. Perhaps he’d never understand._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________However, he had no time to think before Edge finally stood back to his full height, towering over Sans, somehow no longer intimidating to Sans, but now only elegant. He made a mental note to ask his height._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Now, come with me. I’ve made you dinner, I am hoping it will be to your liking.” Edge offered his hand, smiling down at Sans as the blue skeleton seemed to ponder his words for a moment longer, before shakily, hesitantly taking his hand within his own. “Okay.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________The pair walked hand-in-hand in a shared elegance that Sans could hardly believe he could ever achieve. Perhaps it was the way he held the skirt of his dress? He pondered as they walked. Perhaps it was just a shared image of wonder that Edge seemed to resonate. Sans lowered his gaze, blinking slowly as Edge led him down a flight of stairs that led to something like a ballroom. Checkered linoleum flooring, brown and light beige, the floor clicked with Edge and Sans’s shoes walking in broken unison._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Sans could lightly smell steak, the richest steak he’s ever smelled. It was warm in the ballroom, but from the outside, the wind was heavy in the trees, cold in the autumn leaves. Sans turned from the broad windows, to the long table in the middle of the room, where Red was feasting already. Sans sure hoped he’d choke, but no luck._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________As Red’s eyelights turned to him, he gave a snickering smirk, waving his free hand in greeting._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Sans finally pulled his hand away, crossing his arms. “Take your seat anywhere,” Edge offered lightly, and Sans took a seat at the end of the table. It wasn’t the farthest from Red, but it was far enough. Edge took a seat between them. “You could do better to fix your manners, Red. Leaving him like that could have risked some serious consequences.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“It’s just Muffet, it’s not like she could do anything.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“She can do plenty.” Edge growled darkly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Red shrugged. “He can hold his own. He gave a pretty good fight. My legs and shoulders are still bruised.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Good for you.” Sans bit back, growling, much to the humor of Edge who’s shoulders bounced only slightly as he tried to withhold a laugh. “I did choose well.” Sans could just barely hear Edge’s comment from under his breath. Much to Sans’s own chagrin, he could just feel himself be proud._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Oi, don’t talk like you can still do it.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“You wanna watch me?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Yeah, actually I do!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Settle down!” Edge cut in, pushing Red back into his seat. Sans growled, crossing his arms as he dragged a piece of steak onto a plate. “You should learn to get along.” Edge growled at his brother, making the smaller squirm in his seat as he shrunk to avoid Edge’s dark glare._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Red grumbled, turning his head, seeming to have nothing to say. Sans didn’t mind that. He looked between the two red skeletons, before he turned his head and began to chew at his steak. He wasn’t surprised to find that the steak was still bloody, but it was better than being made well-done. At least he was promised good food. Edge seemed to know what he was doing._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Overall, Sans didn’t quite feel scared of the vampires. He mostly just felt out of place. As if he were prepared for, but missed his landing in a flailing mess of woolen blue. Edge didn’t quite seem to mind._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“E-Edge?” Sans stuttered lightly. Edge blinked as he looked over to him. “Yes?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“D-do you think, since you’re expecting me to stay here, that I could perhaps bring my cat here, too? Sans asked, he managed to keep up his sarcastic voice, but he felt his hand shake at those eyes on him. However, keeping up the stance he knew Edge liked from him, he didn’t falter._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Of course.” Edge nodded, and Sans found himself surprised. “You really don’t mind?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Well of course not. Your comfort is my main priority.” He nodded continuously, turning his head back to his taking a bite of his steak. Sans noticed that his steak was the only one that was cooked to be edible. Red and Edge had their steaks hot, but bloodied to hell. Makes sense, Sans figured. He smiled gently as he tilted his head, “Thank you.” Edge didn’t respond, he nodded as he closed his eyes, and continued to eat._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Sans ate slowly at first, before scarfing down the rest. He didn’t realize how hungry he was until he finally allowed himself to loosen up his tenseness. Edge didn’t comment, but Red still had this smug little look on his face, Sans didn’t want to ask why. He held his head down as he ate, thinking instead of the next thing he would write… _If he could write in this damned place. _____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________He didn’t mind not being able to publish anything as he’d done before. Many times after publishing, he’d be hounded to write more. In all fairness, he would rather work at his own pace. If it were for fun, well, that was easy._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“It’s already afternoon?” Edge asked lightly, mostly to himself, as he looked up towards the windows. In the distance, Sans managed to glance at the cathedral spires, the one that hung the bell. He could just barely hear it’s low tolling, fainter then a whispered this far away._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________He hummed, finishing his second steak finally while Edge stood up beside him. “Are you done?” He asked, Sans looked to him for a second, thinking, and then nodding. “Yeah-” His voice was cut off as he chewed the rest of his steak. “Thank you.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________Edge didn’t reply, he was occupied, collecting plates and taking them to a side-room, presumably the kitchen, just off an archway from the ballroom. Sans watched him go with an interest he couldn’t pin. He hummed to himself, looking down._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________However, his moment of peace was interrupted, once again, it was Red’s weight pressed against him, those eyelights staring down at him, teeth glimmering, face twisted into something like mischief._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“Now that we’re alone again~.” Red’s voice trilled as he spoke, his hands pressed to the sides of Sans’s skull, squishing his cheeks as he brought them close to each other. Sans’s soulbeat quickened as he tried to raise his knees, push Red away, but he found himself unable to even budge the skeleton that was barely taller than him. He whimpered at the look in Red’s eyelights. He couldn’t decipher if the look had bad intentions or not, but that perhaps frightened him even more._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“How about you give me more of a reason to like you. You're so cute, and such a wonder to talk to... Oh, but you're taking all the attention away from me, I should have you feasted upon.” Red’s threatening hold made Sans shake, staring up at him with too much fear to look away. “Y-you…”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“I, what?” Red growled, not letting go of that grin. Sans flinched, but he couldn’t push Red away no matter what strength he could muster up. “Oh yeah, I pinned you against a tree and kissed you, drugged you with my venom, and handed you to my brother on a silver platter, and look at how spoiled and adored you are.” Red pressed the tips of their noses together, Sans let out a whine, but he was quickly hushed by Red’s teeth._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________Sans tried to scream, but Red kept him so close, it was impossible to make a sound. Sans awaited the venom to come as it had before, to burn his mouth and wash the nerves in his body away. Yet he was not given such treatment, instead, Red deepened their kiss, if Sans could even call this forced clacking of teeth and tongue a kiss. Red dragged his claws into Sans’s shoulders, making the blue skeleton gasp. Red easily took that opportunity, shoving his tongue between Sans’s teeth. Sans gagged, but it didn’t appear like Red minded that. Perhaps that was his intention._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________Sans arched his back, the pair of skeletons gasping into each other’s mouths, before Sans took this moment of Red’s apparent weakness to push him away, gasping for air as Red wrapped his arms around his neck and pat his skull like he was coddling a cat._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“Oh you’re going to be so good for him…” Red finally mumbled, grinning those sharp teeth as he dragged them down Sans’s cheek, before stopping just over Sans’s lifted mandible as he tried to avoid those teeth at the expense of his neck. “And so good for me, too,” Red added in a whisper as if it were something secret. Sans whimpered, breath heaving quicker. Sans whimpered, his back was arched as if his body was denying his thoughts. He hated this, but with each press from Red, Sans’s body reciprocated. Sans felt Red pull away from him, snickering above him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“Oh hi, Edge~.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________Sans’s eyes snapped open, gasping as he stared past Red’s shoulder, wide-eyed and hazy still, at Edge, who stood somewhat dumbfounded at the archway he’d previously left from. Sans’s face, if it wasn’t already burning, was suddenly on fire, and he whimpered, feeling Red pick up his chin in between his fingers. “Won’t you just look at this!” Red exclaimed, the pride in his voice so painful to Sans’s already-embarrassed face. “D-don’t…” He tried to shake his head, but Red leaned against him, straddled flat on his lap now. “Just makes you wanna have a taste doesn’t it? You really like them soft and sweet, don’t you, Edge?” Red grinned, and Sans’s face was a wildfire across his cheeks, he could cry if it wasn’t for the sheer shock of this event. Well, perhaps a part of him liked it. He didn’t know, but it was one of them, and he didn’t want to find out which one. “Think he’s soft enough to fit two?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________Sans choked a gasp, feeling himself being crushed between Red’s weight, and the puffy chair cushions, sinking far enough to hurt. He felt Red snicker against him, his free hand tracing down to Sans’s ribs in a harsh scratch, making Sans shake with fear, and a sick sense of anticipation that came with the territory of his body working on its own.  
“Red…” Edge growled, his dark voice prominent in the silent room, an octave low enough to make Sans tremble, that sent chills down his spine. He whimpered, but it seemed that only spurred Red on. Edge remained still, clenching his fists at the archway as if he were measuring what to do._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“Well, I doubt out little thrall would mind, now wouldn’t he?” Red leaned against Sans’s face, but Sans tried to push him, shutting his mouth and eyes tight, but Red was still not detoured. Edge blushed a deep red, tensing up as if suddenly a nerve was strummed._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“I like him. You picked well. Make sure to thank me for getting him for you.” Red’s voice shook as it tapered into a laugh, and suddenly Sans was freed, tossing his body against the side of the chair, where he latched onto the arm of his chair some his own stability._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________He gasped for breath, whimpering, legs shaking. He didn’t cry, he huffed, staring at the floor as he clasped his hand against his mouth. His teeth hurt, his tongue was sore. He could hear Edge’s shoes click as he moved, but Sans curled up in the chair, trying to make himself look smaller as if he could sink into the cushions and disappear._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________Sans felt Edge’s fingers lightly brush across the top of his skull and he jolted, looking up at him with fright. He whimpered, staring up at Edge with terror, but Edge did not harbor any malice in his face. He leaned down, mostly to not look so menacing, perhaps he was self-aware._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“My apologies, that mongrel had no shame.” He growled, glaring to the side, before softening his expression as he turned back to Sans. “I truly hope he didn’t harm you seriously…” Edge mumbled gently, brushing the flat of his gloved thumb against Sans’s cheek. Sans flinched at the feeling, before he found comfort in the gentleness of Edge, as if a warmth had washed over him, like a blanket. He blinked with confusion, and as if reading his mind, Edge answered. “Sorry about the manipulation of your feelings, little blue bird. Consider it a security blanket, I do not want you to fear your life here.” Edge mumbled warmly, brushing his hand past Sans’s cheek, where Sans dipped his cheek into Edge’s palm. He closed his eyes, humming as the warmth of Edge’s emotional blanket seemed to force all negative feelings out of his body. He couldn’t even find himself angry at the manipulation of his emotions. He huffed though, which was enough for Edge to pull away the warm wash and slowly pull him up from the chair._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“Let me bring you to your room…” Edge offered his hand as he settled Sans onto his feet. The smaller skeleton blinked, and gently took Edge’s hand. He found himself enjoying Edge’s presence more then Red’s, he found that a common thought throughout that day. He lowered his eyes as he walked, dragging behind Edge as the tall skeleton led him up the stairs and into the elegant corridors._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“How long have you been alive?” Sans asked, he felt the question leave his tongue before he could think about it._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“Two-hundred and twenty years.” Edge nodded, seeming to be slightly proud of himself. Sans supposed the life of a vampire was fraught with hardship, outliving friends and family, he assumed Edge was proud of making it this successfully._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“And Red?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“Two hundred and twenty-five.” Edge nodded once more._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“And I’m just your second thrall. What’s Muffet?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“She’s much older then me or Red… Allow me honesty, but never repeat it?” Edge cast his gaze down to Sans, and the blue skeleton nodded with a curious, suspicious look.  
“That spider gives me the spooks… I’m afraid she’d rip me to pieces if I asked her age.” Edge grumbled as he cast a gaze into the library as they passed it. From within it, Sans could just barely hear the spider giggling and tossing something across the room. _“Aww, can’t you still play?” _____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________Edge slightly shivered, rolling his eyelights. Sans nodded, shivering as well. “She’s quite frightening…” Sans agreed, keeping close to Edge as they passed, and walked away from the library._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“She is, but she’s useful. We've never had the appearance of a hunter come to surprise us under her watch.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“Hunter?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________Edge nodded, “Yes…” He whispered as if speaking of it stung his false throat. “We vampires are a threatened species. Hunted, for dust or blood to be brought back as a trophy in glass bottles to be sold for a fortune. Sometimes, we’re hunted just for being who we are.” Edge spoke through what sounded like raw emotion as if his mouth were suddenly dry. Sans perked, blinking with confusion._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________Edge looked down at him with a gentle blink, and he took a breath as if he were to speak, but his mouth didn’t open, and he instead looked out the window. “Do you need any writing supplies? I know you’re a writer, a poet?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________Sans knew the avoidance within Edge’s words. He took in a breath to question, but refused it, pushing it back down to answer Edge’s question. “What do you have?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“Only about a dozen different calligraphy pens and those packs of parchment.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“That’s all I need.” Sans nodded, offering a gentle, encouraging smile. Edge didn’t return the smile, but he did blink with appreciation, before turning his head and staring ahead. He must not be the best with words._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________Sans nodded lightly, turning his head and walking forwards, beside Edge once more so that he wouldn’t be dragged behind._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“Will…” Sans averted his eyes as he blushed at the question he asked. Edge hummed in acknowledgment._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“Will you… Drink my blood…?” Sans asked. Edge flushed at the question, growing visibly tense, and Sans worried he’d went too far in his curiosities._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________Edge took a breath, nodding lightly, “Well, yes.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________Sans shivered, “Because I’m expendable.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________Edge paused instantly, standing still and rigid as their hands broke apart. “Gods, no!” Edge seemed almost offended, but he quieted down as he slowly relaxed himself. “N-no…” He took a breath that almost seemed painful._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“Because you are someone trustable…”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“Trustable?” Sans questioned, stepping back from Edge so that he didn’t have to crane his neck._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“When we are questioned by hunters, they will trust your word… Everyone will trust your word... Whether they like your or not…” Edge seemed hesitant to explain it, but he averted his eyelights, bearing his teeth as he tried to think. “And I am a powerful vampire, blue bird. I need to feast on only the highest quality.” He seemed to know that it wouldn’t be seen as a compliment, but the tall skeleton continued. Sans backed against the window as Edge took a powerful step towards him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“Magic or blood, you are the purest quality, and I’ve fancied you since I came here.” Edge shook his head._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“How?” Sans asked._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“What?” Edge seemed confused._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“How have you fancied me? In what way?” Sans challenged, he took his chance to return the discomfort, and Edge seemed to rise as he took a vast breath, cocking his head as he seemed to search for an answer._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________Edge didn’t answer, but instead, he seemed like he took the challenge to heart. “Do you want to find out, bird?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________Bird, Sans knew why so much emphasis was put onto such a word, a name for him. A little bird that was caged up by something that could crush him, his mortal life so fragile in this man’s palms._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________Sans huffed, shaking his head. Edge nodded, “good.” There was something behind Edge’s eyelights that flickered with relief, and Sans understood it well. He leaned away from the window, finally taking a step back towards Edge. “I’d like to continue to my room, please.” He demanded, Edge seemed to enjoy such authority from Sans. Edge snickered, nodding. “Alright.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________Edge did not offer his hand this time, instead, he waved his hand and began to walk, stepping like a stag, proud and widened with such authority it suddenly dwarfed Sans’s previous confidence. He squirmed in his dress watching the tall skeleton move, before following him with a slight scramble._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________Sans followed behind Edge, crossed his arms, and lowering his eyelights to watch the patterned carpet move past him as he walked. He paused as Edge opened the bedroom door, allowing Sans in first, as the blue skeleton slowly passed him by. Edge turned his head, blinking as Sans passed him without so much as a thanks. Sans didn’t even notice that Edge followed him in before he was starting to search around the drawers._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“Other side of the room.” Edge corrected Sans in his movement, seizing him by his woolen shawl and spinning him around to face the opposite direction of where he was fiddling. “You could treat me a bit nicer,”Sans grumbled, casting a cruel glance to Edge as he went to the direction Edge had corrected him to, to a singular dresser that he found was entirely filled with materials that could last him lifetimes. Perhaps it was meant to. Sans felt frightened at that thought._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________He sighed, taking out some parchment and a pen at random, and falling into an ottoman to occupy himself from Edge’s stare._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________Sans wrote a letter. He wrote it to his brother. He knew Papyrus would be worried sick. He knew he would seek out to him every hour of every day until his last. To put his fears to rest, Sans refused to leave him in the dark._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________________________“I hope this letter finds you well, little bro. I’m taking a small trip to the next town over, I’m looking around for seeds for the farm, and fresher parchment. Letter may be a tad late, left in a hurry.” ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________He wrote in half-lies, knowing well if he told the truth Edge wouldn’t let him hear the end of it. He thought in a string of fear that it would be his end. He shook his head, bending the paper in fold, and looking around. Edge was preoccupied with something, fiddling around somewhere in the room. Sans watched him move, despite his height, his elegance is something to marvel at. Sans blushed, shaking his head frantically, before standing up to call to him. “Edge?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________Edge made a sound of acknowledgment, a hum, before he rose back up, “Yes?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________“May I ask you to do something else for me?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________“Depends.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________“When you go to get my cat, can you perhaps drop this letter off to my little brother?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________Edge gave him a suspicious side-eye as he leaned into view from the small broom closet he was messing around in. Sans looked down. “You can read it if you must… I just don’t want him to worry about me…” He averts his eyes from the ground, having enough of this god damn carpet. “It’s an excuse for my absence…”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________Edge seemed to soften, and he nodded, coming up from the closet and walking towards Sans with a slow, unintimidating gait. However the hell he managed to remain somehow safe while taking up that much space in the air, Sans didn’t quite understand himself. He tried to keep his soulrate down. With any luck, Edge wasn’t listening._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________“I can. Schoolboy, right? In the dormitories?” He nodded, holding his hand out. “Yes, thank you…” Sans mumbled, handing Edge the folded parchment with care. Edge was gentle, as his hands had been to Sans all day. Sans tried to figure out how such an imposing creature could be gentle, and that too he couldn’t comprehend. Big had always equaled dangerous. His brother was always tall, but he was thin, and was a careful thing, even if he were born with safety hazards for limbs. Sans never knew something as tall, or as sharp, as Edge, could ever be so graceful. He tensed his jaw, cocking his head with slight thought._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________“I’m assuming you’d like to consider it urgent?” Edge asked. Sans didn’t answer, he didn’t know what to answer. He wanted to remain on the safe side of things now that he’d plucked at Edge’s nerves. That, and he couldn’t find his voice._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________“Well, I don’t want to keep your poor cat awaiting. I might as well deliver.” Edge answered for him, as if he thought about it in the split second it could have taken Sans to register him. Sans nodded lightly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________Edge stepped away, tucking the parchment in his pocket. “I’ll be back in a short time.” He paused as he began to step towards the door. He didn’t give a goodbye, just a gentle wave, and then the room was empty of all life, but Sans._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________Sans felt a lump in his false throat, but he tried to swallow it down. He hadn’t been able to register much anxiety in the tornado of his thoughts. He had been caught up in everything else, that the anxiety that had built up within him refused to be swallowed. Sans gasped for air, shaky and useless in his mouth as what registered as a throat in his body seemed to close. He slumped against the ottoman at the foot of the bed, struggling to calm his breath._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________________________Keep it down, keep it down, you rat bastard. ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________Something in his head spun in a voice that wasn’t his own, and he violently shoved his head into the unfamiliar sheets of what was supposed to be his bed, covering his face from unwelcome eyes that he knew would probably see him at any moment. It felt uncomfortable against his bones, his own gown felt like it was made not of cloth, but of slimy stones, wet and dragging him down with weight._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________He clawed at the sheets dragging them over his head. Perhaps if he breathed enough, he could induce himself to pass out. And this could pass from underneath him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________“Do you need anything to help you? Something warm, new clothes?” That voice was sickening to him, and he gagged on the copper taste in the mouth. He glared through the peek in the sheets he hadn’t covered, to a crimson form just near the door._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________“Get out.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________“No.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________Such a harshness in his voice made Sans flinch. Evidently, he noticed this, and he was immediately softened, almost to a whisper, the fry in his voice the only part of his speech that he could not soften, “Tell me what you need, blue, I’ll help you. I know how hard it is to breathe right now, but find a tune you like, breath to it.” The advice was a lot more helpful then Sans realized, a lot gentler then Red’s previous way of talking to him. As if suddenly there was something different in him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________“You don’t have to look at me if you don’t want to, I understand.” Almost as if understanding the answer, Red brushed a sheet over Sans’s body. “You like things enclosed, not big and spacious.” Red took note of that._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________“Now, can you please tell me something that will ease you?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________Sans snuffled, wrestling with himself to control his breathing, Red seemed patient though. He didn’t make a peep in the minutes it took for Sans to soothe his breathing enough to where it wouldn’t hitch when it spoke._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________“What drinks do you have…?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________“What will make you comfortable?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________Sans thought about it for a moment, what did he want? What would take this gross slimy feeling away from him, what would dry his tears?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________“Something warm...?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________“We have hot chocolate, warm milk, coffees, teas…” Red listed slowly, and he leaned against the bed, making sure not to touch Sans’s body directly. It appeared that he already knew his touches wouldn’t be welcome, at least definitely not while Sans was struggling._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________“Hot chocolate is fine…” Sans thought out loud. Red seemed hesitant, “are you sure?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________Sans thought once more, and he blinked as he curled his knees to his chest, lifting up slowly and wrapping a sheet around his body. “T-tea is fine… Lemon…?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________Red seemed more assured by Sans’s easier answer this time, and he lifted up, “Of course.” Red turned, and Sans slowly lifted up as he watched Red leave the room. Sans kept the sheet around his head as he untied the canopy curtains from the pillars on his bed. The curtains fell to enclose him, and he felt much more comfortable in his surroundings, hidden within the rectangular enclosure. He curled up on his side, calming his breath slowly as he practiced what he’d been told, finding a slow, symphonic tune that eased his breath by force, keeping him comfortable._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________He watched the door, blurred through the heavy translucent curtains, as it opened back once more, slowly and a red blur came through with an easy step. “I’m back. I see you found your own comfortable space.” Red seemed impressed, but he didn’t make any more comments about it._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________Sans watched as he reached towards the curtains, blinking lightly as he felt Red place a mug in his hands. “Be careful, it’s fresh off the fire,” Red warned, and Sans took the cup in his fingertips slowly. “T-thank you…” Sans mumbled lightly, and Red gave a gentle laugh. “S’alright.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________Sans took a slow, breathy sip of the tea, making sure to be wary of the fiery temperature. “May I stay?” Red asked softly. Sans sighed as he nodded, “sure…”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________Red sat on the ottoman, turning his head as he lay his head on the bed’s pillar. Red didn’t speak waiting instead for Sans to finish. Sans sipped slowly at his tea, enjoying the warmer feeling of it. He hummed slowly as he found the end of it, and gently tapped the curtain. Red stirred, making a noise of acknowledgment. “T-this is finished…” Sans mumbled. Red nodded, taking the cup from where the curtains parted. “Are you feeling better?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________Sans felt himself, and he nodded lightly, “Y-yeah… I think so.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________“Think so?” Red prodded gently, Sans could see him looking through a small part in the curtains._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________“C-can I have some fresher clothes…?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________“A nightgown? Something ligher?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________“Perfect…” Sans gave a relieved sigh. Red did seem to understand his situation. He watched Red through the parted curtain, watching the skeleton shuffling across a dresser that hung with fancy dresses, smaller, thinner dresses, and finally smaller, frilly nightgowns. “Can I wear that baby blue puffy one?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________“This one?” Red pulled the one Sans was wanting, sleeves ruffled to the elbows, and the skirt would fall to his knees. It was cut to the collar with pleasant, feathery ruffles. Sans purred as he nodded, “Yeah.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________Red walked it over to Sans, and handed it to him. “Do you want something to go underneath it? I have some tights that I haven’t worn that would fit you.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________“That would be perfect, thank you.” Sans nodded. Red seemed relieved of Sans’s relaxation, and he left the room quickly, and was almost instantly back, in the span of two blinks, with a folded pair of lack tights that went down to mid-tibia._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________Sans reached for the black tights as Red gave them to him, smiling at him, thankful for Red’s shred of kindness to him. “D-don’t look…” He felt his soul run to his throat as he rose up to his knees._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________Red didn’t reply at first, but he shut the curtains tight and turned around, “Course not.” Red smiled nodded._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________Sans sighed, managing to remove his clothes and replace them. He felt refreshed, no longer heavy, and dragged down by the weight of a long skirt. It was breathable and frilly, light enough to be easy to relax himself in._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________He brushed the curtains around his hands as he gave Red his dirty clothes. “Thank you.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________“You don’t have to thank me, I promise. I’m just here to help.” Red grinned as he dropped the clothes onto the outside of the door in a basket._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________“Ironic.” Sans commented, skirting on hostility. Red seemed to flush, and he nodded, “Yeah…” He mumbled, laughing lightly as he sat back down onto the ottoman. “I know… I wanted to make Edge angry. It spurs him on to admit things to himself when he’s angry.” Red paused as he rolled his eyes different directions as he seemed to come to terms with something else. “Aaand I just thought you would like it. I was wrong obviously.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________“Of couse you were wrong. What things did he have to admit?” Sans gave him this scathing scolding, before he tilted his head lightly with little more curiosity. He blinked slowly as Red stared up at him. Sans traced the scars that creased up the side of Red’s face. Two long, thin things, that crept up from Red’s mandible to the top of his skull, just up across his right socket. He blinked lightly, and Red seemed to notice his tracing glances._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________“That’s for him to tell. His story is not mine to tell…” Red seemed remorseful, and Sans blinked, slightly frustrated, but understanding. He nodded, sighing as he rose his hands. “Can I see your face, just for a moment?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________Red quirked his brow, raising up and peeking his head through the curtains. “Yes?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________Sans gently took Red’s face into his hands, peering into him as he traced the scars with his fingers_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________“Tell me your story?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


	3. Get To Know

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit short... Short enough to be suspicious...

Red blinked, as if he had to take a moment to register Sans’s request.

_Tell me your story? ___

__Sans could just see the cogs spinning in Red’s mind, and he watched him process. He is patient, he watches, and Red hums, looking down with a thought. Sans felt Red’s eyes tracing his exposed clavicle as if it will somehow jog him to a definitive answer. His face contorted into something like confusion, and a serious sort of confliction._ _

__Red didn’t like his story. It was… Cruel. Draped in the haunted colors of bruises. Black, blue, and sometimes a gross yellow, sometimes dripping with a terrible liquid ruby that made him feel sticky. He squirmed uncomfortably where he sat._ _

__“How old are you?” _Two-hundred twenty-five _, Sans knew the answer, but if Red wasn’t willing to answer that, he wouldn’t be willing to answer anything similar. Red doesn’t leave Sans’s grasp on his face, in fact, he leaned into that cupping on his cheek to soothe him, he watched the brilliant pale blue color flash from Sans’s joints.___ _

____He gave a sickly huff, before falling into the softness of Sans’s body, much to the surprise of the smaller skeleton, who received him less than elegantly with a sound of surprise and a slight falter in his back, having to fight his own bones to keep him upright. Sans flinched as Red curled up, the ruby skeleton covered his face in the soft, silkie material of Sans’s nightgown, and the pair shared a moment in silence, before Red finally whispered, “Two-hundred twenty-five…”_ _ _ _

____Sans nodded with an understanding hum. Slowly, shakily, he traced his hand upwards and grazed it over Red’s skull, gingerly placing the flat of his thumb over the slitted end of the right-most scar._ _ _ _

____“What’s the story of this one…?” Sans inquired, and Red blinked, laying backward into Sans’s arm, looking up at him without exposing his throat._ _ _ _

____“The one who turned me and Edge… He did it. The other one was caused deliberately to look just like it.” Red sighed, wincing as he rose his knees, and he closed his eyes, feeling Sans continue to graze his skull with gentle fingers. Sans sighed slowly, blinking with interest, but not pushing. Instead, he was silent, bidding Red to continue on his own. Red, with a strained grin, shot up and rolled off of the bed, landing on his knees on the ottoman, “I should go, Edge will be back soon. He’ll kill me if he catches me this close to you again.” Red turned away his eyes, covering his body with his cloak. “It’ll be good for you to get some rest. You… may need it.” Red averted his eyelights, moving away and leaning out the door._ _ _ _

____“Good night…!” Sans called gently, dipping his head as Red paused before he left with haste, and suddenly the candles were out. Sans lowered down, nodding to himself to soothe his own ruffled feathers. He closed the curtains of his bed, and laid back, curling up in the sheets he’d made a mess of. He lowered his head into the blanket on his shoulder. Slowly soothing himself to sleep, watching the window begin to glow as the moon passed overhead as slowly as a creeping cat to a mouse.  
Before Sans knew it, he was fast asleep._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____Songbirds woke him up that next morning, curled up with a familiar warm lump making home in the spot between his ribcage and the blankets. He hummed, slightly confused, his surroundings still were not familiar, and he rolled over onto his back, yawning as he arched to stretch until his spine was a somewhat painful, bot immediately gratifying pop, that echoed with satisfaction as he finally lay back down. He hummed slowly, before a loud meow startled him fully awake._ _ _ _

____“Fellow!” Sans chirped happily as he curled his body around his black cat. Fellow let out a mrow, rubbing against Sans’s face with a ‘purrb’ sound. She kneaded into his arm and he rubbed his hands against her face. The cat finally had enough with his affections when she pushed away and leaped to the foot of the bed, letting out another loud mrow and twitching her tail as she stretched._ _ _ _

____Fellow jumped onto the ground, and Sans slowly followed her, parting to face the closet as he looked for a better dress to wear, since that was about the only thing he was able to wear. He held onto a hope that Red would spare him some tights like he’s done last night._ _ _ _

____Sans placed his nightgown onto the bed, and changed into another, lighter dress, patting it down. It was similar to the one he wore yesterday, clenched at his sides, puffy at the chest and sleeves, and pluming lightly at the skirt. He threw on another woolen shawl, this time it hung much longer in the back, fitting in with the vampires, except this time it was blue._ _ _ _

____Sans turned to Fellow, who was eating with a purr out of a rather large food bowl filled with wet cat food, likely made out of vary fine materials. Fellow was a rather large cat, her legs were long and her body was slim, but lengthy. Her tail arched over her back, feathering out much longer-furred then the rest of her. She looked like a shadow with bright, wide orange eyes that pried into one’s soul._ _ _ _

____She mrowed as she licked her maw, finished with her food, and beginning to scratch at the door. Around this time, she would be let out into the garden to soak up some sun. Sans felt a prick of dismay as he remembered that there wasn’t a flowerbed she could curl up into and shine like she was on fire. Somehow Sans always enjoyed she lived up to her nickname in the town, “hellbeast”._ _ _ _

____Sans rolled his sleeves up to his elbows, and he slowly opened the door. Surely the vampires wouldn’t mind if he roamed around and got acquainted. It’s not like he could leave and not face any consequence. He kept Fellow close. He didn’t want her wandering about and meeting her end to Muffet. Sans would be crushed. He gently urged Fellow along in front of him. Much to his relief, she seemed to know that the library was danger. She hissed and spat, arching her shadowy back as she stalked past it. Sans nodded, following slowly behind her and gently picking her up. She didn’t seem to mind, but the way she dug her claws into his sleeve made him wince. He move past the library and turned down the corridor that led down the stairs._ _ _ _

____He made it halfway down the stairs before Fellow hissed once more, this time she began to shake with how violently she despised the presence that angered her. She spat, and jumped out of Sans’s arms. He yelped, and watched her chase a white flash down the last flight of stairs. “Fellow!” Sans called, chasing after the cat with a stumble down the stairs. He tripped as he fell over on the last step, landing on his elbow and scraping it terribly on the wooden floor. He yelped, making a pained noise as he tried to get up, stumbling as he forced himself to move and follow clumsily after his cat. “Fellow!” He called once again, limping as he landed wrong on his pelvis, following the black shadow of a cat around a corner._ _ _ _

____Edge stared back at him, sitting in gold-painted wood and red-cushioned chair that faced sideways of Sans, but Edge blinked at him with little less then curiosity. Fellow stared up past him, hissing and spitting, while another cat, this time stark white with a little red handkerchief around its neck climbed onto the head of the chair and spat back down at her.  
Sans gulped as he stared back, embarrassment flushing over his body as he hissed. “S-sorry.” He mumbled. _ _ _ _

____“Get your cat. Sit on the ottoman.” Edge grumbled, taking a sip of a drink he had sitting beside him, and standing up, moving out of view. His cat nipped at his clothing, but missed, then its attention was turned instantly back to Fellow. Sans flinched at the authority in Edge’s voice. It was the type of authority that told him he was in trouble. For what, he tried to figure out as he grabbed Fellow, and sat her in his lap, petting her slowly. He sat on the ottoman across from Edge, where he held onto his cat and looking downwards. Edge didn’t make much noise as he moved, other then the clacking of a pot of tea and it’s soft pouring into a cup._ _ _ _

____Edge was the brooding type, Sans recognized. He’d ran into plenty of that type. However, Edge struck him different. There was something else behind angst in Edge’s sort of brooding. Sans couldn’t quite pin it down. If he was remembering his moment from Red that last night, he thought he could find a similar thought in Edge’s mind somewhere. However, he couldn’t see inside Edge’s head. He could only see that brooding, dark expression as he handed him his cup of tea. “Lemon.” Edge pointed, and Sans took the cup with a thankful nod. “Thank you.”_ _ _ _

____Edge didn’t reply, he sat down onto his chair and crossed one of his leg over the other. He huffed as he took a sip of his own teacup, and finally sat it back down. “You’re not in trouble, I promise.” Edge mumbled, leaning against his chair as he snickered softly. However, he soon hardened his expression._ _ _ _

____“Did you fall?” Edge asked as he eyed the scrape on Sans’s elbow. Sans flushed with embarrassment, and he averted his eyes. “Well…”_ _ _ _

____“Is the answer ‘yes’?” Edge asked, some sort of smile creeping his features. Sans rolled his eyelights, sighing as he nodded with some intense humiliation. Edge nodded as he laughed, though, in an odd sense of relief, he knew Edge wasn’t laughing at him. He smiled and rubbed his elbow gently with the palm of his hand. “Do you have any, like, bandages?” Sans asked. He didn’t know if vampires even required first-aid material._ _ _ _

____Edge nodded, “Of course,” and stood up. “I’ll be right back.” Edge crossed the room, and turned a corner at the archway. Leaving Sans to his thoughts, he held his Fellow in his arms as she stared harshly up at the white cat who stared right back at her. Sans held a sharp, quick intake of breath, before Edge turned back into the room, holding a small box of things that rumbled._ _ _ _

____“Do be patient with me, Sans, it’s been a while since I’ve aided a mortal… Vampires don’t exactly bleed.” Edge fumbled with the small wooden box as he sat it onto the table beside his chair. The white cat meowed at him, and he gently scratched its head, before becoming occupied with his fiddling once more.  
“No worries. It’s just disinfecting and wrapping gauze around the wound.” Sans smiled gently, with a perk of encouragement that seemed to make Edge relax a bit. But he still sighed, “I have to hide the smell of that fresh blood on you. I’ve grown used to it, but Red and Muffet are rather, well…” He paused to seek the word, and Sans awaited him with curiosity._ _ _ _

____“Sensitive.” Edge finally nodded, such emphasis on the word in Edge’s tone, made Sans flinch. He supposed that was right, sighing. “Have they… not fed in a while…?” Sans asked quietly, with curiosity that seemed deadly even to himself. Edge took in a breath, slightly shaking as he seemed to think for a second, jaw tightened._ _ _ _

____“Us vampires lead a rather… morally gray life…”_ _ _ _

____“I understand that… You need to survive.” Sans nodded gently, trying his damnedest to be encouraging, truly curious of Edge’s words, their meanings. Edge seemed appreciative of Sans’s words as he tucked s roll of gauze, dry swabs, and disinfectant alcohol in the cradle of his arm, and moving around Sans to his other side, where he could retrieve the injured arm._ _ _ _

____“Some vampires consider themselves ‘pure’, living off of animals, the land, hell, some get their sustenance from just pigments, marrows, special potions… But that’s not us...” Edge spoke in a melancholy tone, dabbing a bit of disinfectant onto a dry swab, and gently holding Sans’s arm in his clawed hands._ _ _ _

____For a moment, as he listened, Sans marveled at the way Edge’s entire hands fit the whole of his arm within his grasp. He was so small compared to Edge. He already knew their difference in height was incredibly vast, a pixie compared to an orc, but it was almost ridiculous to compare their proportions together. He nodded for Edge to continue as he watched Edge work slowly._ _ _ _

____“We are the type of vampires built to hunt, to feed on prey smarter then animal…” He seemed sick to speak of it, and Sans listened still, confident, almost courageous, as he leaned in to guide Edge’s hand to swap down the wound, not up. Edge gently pat his hand, and they shared a moment of peace and silence, before Edge took another breath, sounding almost as if he were holding his breath._ _ _ _

____“Red was built to endure long periods of time without eating, you were his first drink in a year. He can last two years in his condition. Muffet, well… She gets her own feasts, you saw them. She's a bit of a glutton” Edge shivered at the mention of Muffet and her victims. “I, on the other hand… Well… I can’t do it…”_ _ _ _

____“My first thrall… He was an understanding thing, he came willingly to me… He let me feast when I needed but… when he was…” Edge choked on something and he cleared his false throat, as he slowly unwrapped the gauze in his hands._ _ _ _

____Sans gave an encouraging nod. “You don’t have to speak about it if you don’t want to.” He whispered gently, to not distract Edge’s cadence, but carrying his willingness with opportunity rather then persuasion._ _ _ _

____“When he passed,” Edge let out a breath, slowly nodding as he seemed more content to speak with that. “You should have seen the price they paid when I got a hold of them…” Edge gave a growl at that last part. “Ow…” Sans softly hissed as the gauze was wrapped too tight around his arm. Edge cocked his head, before sighing as he undid the gauze, and rewrapped it a bit slower. “My apologies…”_ _ _ _

____Sans nodded softly, gently patting Edge’s hand in a soft movement of encouragement. Edge tensed for a second, but he finally purred and relieved his hands. He slowly took in a breath and continued. “I’m exhausted, hungry… Guilty… The things I’ve done out of hunger still hurt… Even enthralling you has made me guilty.” Edge huffed, finally pulling away as he tied the gauze in a neat bow. “Let me clean your sleeve too…” He commented as he retrieved a couple more swabs._ _ _ _

____Sans watched, still all ears for Edge to say more. “How long have you gone hungry… Before you enthralled me?”_ _ _ _

____Edge seemed to shuffle uncomfortably at the question, before he answered with a low, “eight months…”_ _ _ _

____“How long can you fast before it kills you…?”_ _ _ _

____Edge gave a shuddering breath, though he managed to hide it with some shuffling in the wooden box of things._ _ _ _

____“A year.”_ _ _ _

____Sans flattened against the cushion, conflicted, pained. He tensed his jaw as he blinked quickly, trying to understand the sudden thought that pricked into his head, but he tried to fight it..._ _ _ _

____"Y-you don’t have to starve yourself, Edge…” Sans spoke before he could register it himself. Edge paused, looking to Sans with a look of confusion, a consideration that was fraught with fright. Confliction wandered a bit to close to the surface of Edge's eyelights, enough to make Sans aware of such an emotion, but Sans stood steady._ _ _ _

____Fellow leaped from Sans’s lap, and the white cat from Edge’s chair hopped down as well. They mingled their noses together before Fellow followed the white cat onto the counter, and they sat somewhere else by the window, oblivious to the tensions Sans ha built up in the room. Or, perhaps they were fully aware, and somewhere in their little feline brains, they distanced themselves, and instead turned to each other’s feline company._ _ _ _

____There was still gauze around Sans’s neck from the previous bite, the one Red had given him from when he’d been taken. He ripped it off with a new, fresh determination, causing Edge to straighten up with a slight look of fright._ _ _ _

____Perhaps it was raising his brother that had made Sans so open to sacrificing himself for the betterment of someone else. Perhaps it was the determination to find some sort of control in the situation. Perhaps Sans was just too cowardly to have someone else’s death be on him, the guilt of someone else, hell he wouldn’t doubt that possibility either.  
“D-drink from me.” Sans stammered at first, but he maintained a demanding tone, something he knew would make Edge more aware of his determination against him. Edge backed up, that look of fright so foreign on his face, but his conflict was suddenly resolved as Sans whispered, “Please…?”_ _ _ _

____Edge gently pushed Sans back into the chair, and he slowly knelt down, seeming to struggle to keep himself under control so close to a still fresh wound so close to the magic he seemed to crave, so hungry for. Sans felt a chill down his spine as Edge’s breath skirted so close to his neck._ _ _ _

____“J-just… Be nice…?” He mumbled shyly, and Edge gingerly placed his hands onto Sans’s waist. “Countdown…?” The taller skeleton suggested._ _ _ _

____“From five, please…” Sans felt a sense of relief that Edge was a lot kinder, more considerate then he looked. Even if he did sometimes act a bit rude. Even with it, Sans still felt himself crawl with anxiety as Edge’s breath made him shiver with each number he mumbled._ _ _ _

____“Five.” Edge leaned his forehead against Sans’s neck._ _ _ _

____“Four.” He gently brushed the wool away from Sans’s neck._ _ _ _

____“Three.” Edge slowly pulled down the tall collar of Sans’s dress from Sans’s neck._ _ _ _

____“Two.” Edge gently blew a cold puff of air against Sans’s neck, and he reached for a dry swab._ _ _ _

____“One…” Edge took a quick breath, and pushed into Sans with a quick sink of his sharp teeth. Sans whimpered, he would have screamed if he hadn’t freshened the old wound, making it spark for a moment, before growing numb. Sans’s breath grew heavy as he wrapped his arms around Edge’s neck. Edge had to adjust slightly, but he continued to feast. It was a mess down Sans’s neck, Edge just kept pushing against him, almost knocking the chair backwards as he huffed, and Sans shared the heavy breath. He growled, arching his back, and he felt fiery hot blood and liquid magic seep down his neck and fabrics. He flushed with a heat he didn’t recognize, not embarrassment, no, he wasn’t embarrassed by this. No humiliation could ever make this heat in his face feel so pleasant._ _ _ _

____Sans couldn’t help himself but whimper, gripping at Edge’s back as he arched once more, letting out a ragged growl, a noise not of hostility, but something else._ _ _ _

____Overall, the attention lasted at least something of 30 seconds, but it felt like an hour. A painful hour, and the pain was muddled by a form of bliss that made Sans feel that wonderful heat he couldn’t describe. As Edge pulled away, pressing a swab to the other’s neck, Sans slumped back against the chair with a look of appeasement and confusion. He had squirmed so much that his dress had ridden up over his knees, and he quickly pushed it back down, and he covered his neck with his other hand, raising his knee and hiding underneath the light flow of his dress. He smiled softly, and then covered his face underneath his eyes with an opened hand_ _ _ _

____“Are you alright…?” Edge asked softly, licking away the blue from his mouth with a lack of elegance that was foreign to Edge’s features. A wild look in his eyes, as if a new life had been sparked in him, even when the shape of his face, the way his sockets were shaped in his head, remained the same.  
Sans nodded lightly, smirking to himself behind his hand and laughing softly. “Mh-hm…”_ _ _ _

____Edge seemed to notice that Sans, despite being fine, wasn’t completely all there. He gently stood up straight, lightly stumbling as he wiped his face, licking up the blue from his sleeve as he made some tea. “You’re awfully into near-death…” Edge mumbled softly, sharing a second of eye contact with Sans who was rolling in his chair to cling both arms around the arms of his chair. Sans slowly started to gain his breath, slowing down intentionally to focus. Though, he did give a laugh, and then was silent as he tried to breath.  
“I’ll need to tend to that wound too.” Edge stumbled slightly, and he looked up as if he were thinking of going back at it again. Sans wouldn’t let him anyway, he still needed what Edge had left, and letting him drink again would probably kill him. Not like Sans could overpower the vampire if he tried, though. Sans couldn’t bring himself to shudder at that thought, too weak. Perhaps he was being covered in that sweet blanket of Edge’s emotional power, that made him feel all warm and fuzzy and excited. Excited?_ _ _ _

____Sans dug into his chair as he rubbed his hand against his neck. “Y-your teeth are really strong… Will it… Always feel like this…?” Sans asked as he rose his knees, humming to himself as he felt how sticky his neck was._ _ _ _

____“What did it feel like…?” Edge asked lightly, looking in a different direction as if wanting to make casual small-talk now. As casual as describing the bite of a vampire could be.  
“Well…” Sans thought about it as he gently reached for another cotton swab in the box, pressing it to the first which has grown sodden with his excess lifeblood. “It hurt at first, then it started to feel better, then good.”_ _ _ _

____“Good?” Edge questioned._ _ _ _

____“Like… Warm, and pleasant. The pain turned to some sort of buzz that made me feel hot. Not, like, uncomfortable… Pleasant is my only description, really…” Sans breathed softly, feeling the blood and magic come to a halt, starting to grow cold under his touch, uncomfortable. He slowly began to fix up himself, wiping it away from his neck and cleaning himself off. Akin to a walk of shame, but staying in place, Sans blushed and looked away, cleaning himself off from the mess they had made. His vertebrae buzzed with that dull feeling of false pain that mingled with something else entirely. He finally managed to clean off his neck, but his dress was still stained at the collar, the wool around his neck was ruffled and stained with a pale blue._ _ _ _

____“The master’s finally drank it appears.” That voice made Sans squeak and hide in his chair, staring at the doorway with fright._ _ _ _

____“Muffet, leave before your compulsion becomes a problem.” Edge growled lightly as he stirred, moving to stand in front of Sans’s chair, and hide him. Muffet’s shadow, though her black eyes were much darker then the depth of hell and burned into Sans without even look at him, only tilted her head. She was such a frightening thing, even with Edge just an arm-lengths away, Sans feared Muffet’s ever-watching eyes, as if she knew even his deepest darkest fears and yearned to exploit as if he'd teste better terrified._ _ _ _

____“Well, if I leave you here, how will I warn you of the little fishie coming up the road?”_ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BOOM-  
> Cliffhanger~  
> You guys are gonna hate me when I figure out what I'm doing >w>
> 
> Hey hmu on twitter, we have a fun time over there~~ : @askelltybones


	4. What Day Is It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans is found, but he doesn't leave. The vampires are struggling to get along with the thrall around.

Edge paused, staring at Muffet with shock, and he was quick on his feet, picking up Sans and pulling him along with him, and Sans squeaked with surprise. “Hey, be gentle!” He yelped softly, grabbing onto Edge’s wrist as he gripped him tightly in his grasp.

Edge scooped him up, forcing a squeak, this time of fright, out of Sans’s mouth as she was taken by surprise into Edge’s arm. “Muffet, find Red. I’m going to hide the thrall.” Edge growled as he briskly brushed past the spider hanging over the archway.

“Will do.” Muffet purred, and she climbed into the darkness of the tall walls that Sans couldn’t see. He blinked as he tore himself away from Edge’s grip, with the expense of his ribs in the process, which heaved in pain as he managed to wriggle from the tougher skeleton’s grasp. “What the hell is going on?” Sans finally managed to gasp as he pushed Edge’s hands away from. “Stop seizing at me!” He finally yelled as Edge tried to reach for him again. Edge finally retracted his hands fully as he realized Sans would most definitely put up a fight, and Edge wasn’t trying to remain on Sans’s bad side if he could help it. Especially not now after their previously tender moment that Edge had grown soft too. Even now, when Edge was feeling that familiar sense of bright red warning signs like a train light on a busy station, screeching warning after warning that dread and danger were coming close, he knew Sans was a stubborn thing already.

“You know the huntsman right? She’s the head guard in the town.”

“Undyne?” Sans asked, blinked with confusion as he cocked his head.

“Yes, yes that’s her name. The bastard.” He couldn’t keep away the bite of hate on his tongue as he looked down, and he stood back up to keep his face of malice away from Sans, who he knew was sensitive to his emotions, even without the amount of sensory he as a vampire had.

“She’s a thorn in our side, us vampires. She’ll never leave us alone.” He couldn’t bite back the venom as he spoke either. Sans slowly seemed to be understanding.

“Does she suspect you?” At that, Sans seemed to blink with some sort of concern. Sure Sans didn’t quite like the circumstances he was in, even if he was making do with it, but even still, he didn’t want anything bad happening to the vampires, especially now that he knew they weren’t just creatures who feasted blindly.

“I think every soul suspects us, they just don’t know what we are. Like how they believed you a witch.” Edge shook his head. He looked up as he seemed to tighten his jaw. “She’s probably formed a connection between you and us, perhaps she didn’t form any connection at all and she’s just on her way to raise hell. Either way, she’s here, and she’s come to find you.”

Sans blinked in conflict. A part of him still wanted to be found, to be taken away from this dreaded place, but there was still that part of him that was curious of these vampires, their way of life, the way they lived. Hell, perhaps he was still interested in how they would treat him, why his place here was still so important.

He supposed his curiosity won out over his natural wonder to go home, as he scooped up his cat who had been silent at his feet, and allowed Edge to hold him by the hand as walked him up the stairs. “Can you hide…?” Edge asked hesitantly, almost as if he knew Sans’s conflicting thoughts, and Sans couldn’t blame him.

“I can… I’ll hide atop the library. Surely there’s a secret opening there that she can’t find.” He assumed that, if this damned mansion was big enough to house three vampires and none of them would have to cross paths in days, then surely it was big enough to have some sort of secret rooms.

“Clever, clever.” Edge nodded, an impressed quirk in his brow making Sans’s chest glow warmly, and he turned away his blush as Edge let go of his hand. “On the second floor of the library, left-hand side, a book called “O’ Wonder O’ Mine”, big golden thing, shiny, can’t miss it.” Edge detailed as he gently stepped around Sans, who followed his movements with his eyes. There was a moment of silence as Sans registered the details in his mind, while Edge gently pressed his teeth to the side of Sans’s head, and he tensed as Edge mumbled gently, “Thank you” in his skull as he stands back up, and turns the corner as quickly as a mouse.

Sans blushed wildly before he squeaked and ran off, the trail to the library already ingrained in his head and he tried to just focus on what he was doing instead of overthinking Edge’s gestures. He knew Fellow would get quite tired of being carried, but as long as he could just get her up and over the library ladder…

He tossed her up the last couple steps like a lanky children’s play-ball, and she hissed down at him with obvious discontent at being tossed, but he gently scratched under her chin with promises of treats, and all was forgiven. She followed him with a loud mrow as he quickly assessed the left-hand wall for a shiny golden book.

O’ Wonder O’ Mine, the book was called, Sans remembered, and he traced the wall, ducking when he heard anything out of place. It stuck out like a sore thumb. When he finally found the book, it was strangely out of place, a wide space allowed the book to lean against another with enough room to reach in and find the less-then-well hidden dial painted scarlet. The wall seemed to roar with protest as it opened, and Sans squeaked, ducking down and crawling into the room and dragging Fellow in with him as the wall creaked up, then shut back down behind him.

Sans sighed, bit too loud, bit too loud…

He curled up in the middle of the room, where a stack of books was piled beside a small chair that looked out of place in such a room. Looking like it belonged in a wooden cottage rather than in this room. It was cold, almost icy. White light shed in through one round, white-painted window. Black floor, black brick walls, black bookshelves with books that were red leatherbound. Sharp contrasts that made it hard for Sans’s eyes to adjust.

In the cold, Sans wrapped up his wool on his neck, he huffed finding warmth in the wool, he grumbled to himself as Fellow lightly bumped her head against his own. Fellow seemed to notice his anguish. Sans appreciated her understanding.

Underneath the hidden room, he could hear clattering, and he leaned down to listen. Smelled like dirt and disuse. Sans realized he might have been the only person to step foot in this room for a long while. He blinked slowly as he strained his hearing to listen for what was going on.

But he couldn’t hear it. He huffed, lifting up, perhaps he shouldn’t snoop. Well… He couldn’t really help himself, could he?

The small skeleton crawled across the floor, trying his best to listen well to what might be going on.

The door howled open.

Sans yelped, standing up with a start. “W-” He stuttered as his arm was seized by a quick flash of glimmering hands. Fellow let out a loud hiss and a cry as she jumped elsewhere, out of Sans’s sight.

“Sans! Are you alright?” It was only then that Sans realized who had grasped him so heavily, only this power could be possessed by one person and Sans couldn’t explain the sort of anger that fueled him. Hell, perhaps he was merely being influenced by his thralldom to that damn vampire, but he was angered nonetheless.

“God, what kind of fluff have these creatures done to you?” Undyne glared down at the dress that Sans was in as if it were some sort of tar, a mess, and that too made Sans quite angered. Undyne’s sharp teeth glimmered as she turned towards the vampires with a snarl. “You fiends will pay for this. I’ll have you know this kidnapping is a capital offense!” If the brandishing of her blade said anything, Sans knew she would say what she wanted no matter the circumstance. She was ready to fight. Sans began to shake.

Edge stood stoic at the doorway, a glare in his eye. A ways away, peeking from around Edge was Red, who much to Sans’s surprise, had a look of horror that sparked Sans’s resolve.

“Excuse me!” He huffed, snatching away his arm. “I’ll have you know, Undyne, that no kidnapping took place!” He pointed an accusatory finger up at the fish woman with enough of an anger to make her take a step back. He let out a scoff as he replaced her step with his own. “I took up a place here on my own! I’m writing about isolation and those two have graciously offered me a place to find my thoughts.” He found the lies easier than he should have. Though, he supposed if he actually got to it, he would only be telling half-lies.

“Now, last time I checked, a grown man can do what he wants, and I’m doing what I want. Now, I plead, go off and tell my brother that I’m still out of town so that he isn’t worried about me, and GO!” Sans didn’t really intend to sound as aggressive as he did, and he was shaking out of his garments with nerves, hiding it in his hands as he crossed his arms. “Please.” He scoffed with some desperate mumble, turning down his head as he rubbed his arms to soothe his nerves. 

Undyne was silent for a moment, dumbfounded by his outburst, and Sans didn’t quite blame her. She let out a growl, “what is wrong with you?” she hissed. “Get out.” Sans stamped his foot, glaring up at her. He was tired already. He’s barely woken up an hour or two ago, but he was already drained so heavily.  
Undyne stepped away. “You’re not alright.”

“I’m fine.” Sans insisted, raising his head as he stood straight up. “Don’t make me beg for my solitude now, I’ve barely woken up today.” Sans rolled his eyes as he averted them elsewhere. Undyne let out a growl, before she made a slow turn away from him, “I wonder what Papyrus would say about it.”

“What he doesn’t know, won’t harm him. It’s not like I’ve suddenly left him forever. If you hurt him, or let him wait, is up to you.” His words were jabbing, but his tone was even, even with that glare from the fish as she took a step away, before two, then finally she was stalking away with a growl.

Sans wasn’t about to hurt his brother. He knew Undyne wouldn’t do it either, or at least he sure fucking hoped not. When he got back, he wouldn’t let her hear the end of it. Papyrus wouldn’t forgive her for lying to him either. Sans was just out of town, not in a mansion off the ends of the town in self-isolation with his only care-takers being the oddball pair of silent brothers. Sans clenched his fist as he prayed to any gods, if any at all that could listen to him, that Undyne would leave it all be. 

There was a haunting thought that Sans knew she wouldn’t.

“I’ll have you yet, beast.” Those words of hers were then aimed at Edge, who shared a glare deadlier than her own right back at her. Red couldn’t muster up anything but a shocked trace of his eyes along the carpet, unseeing.

Edge went away behind the wall, and Sans assumed he was making sure Undyne left. He listened to their steps down the ladder, and he growled to himself. Damn, he huffed, I could’ve left… He thought about it. That would hurt Red and Edge… He stared over at Red, who shook lightly in his own arms as he crossed them as if holding himself, against his chest. 

“Red…?” Sans mumbled softly, Red flinched at his own name, and he slowly, shakily, looked over to Sans with this confused look in his eyes. Sans didn’t register Red’s flicker out of view until he was already standing over him, wrapping a pair of tough, hardy arms around Sans's neck and squeezing him tightly. “You could have left… We wouldn’t have stopped you…” Red whispered softly. Sans flinched in those arms before he slowly returned the hug and let out a long, tired sigh. “I didn’t know that…”

“Do you want to leave…?” Red asked, he didn’t pull away, as if he didn’t want to see the look on Sans’s face when he answered. Sans thought for a moment, before he quietly kneaded into Red’s shoulders, closing his eyes as he leaned into him. “Not yet.”

“Yet?”

“Yet.” Sans laughed gently, before he pulled away, looking out the frosted window as Undyne left the mansion on horseback, surely sharing a couple of rude curses with Edge on her way out. Red followed him to the window, letting out a soft huff. “Her hunch isn’t all wrong… She just hasn’t pinned us yet.” Red seemed to assess it himself, looking sideways to Sans, who lightly placed his head against the window. Around their legs, Fellow ringed between them and meowed loudly.

Red slowly blinked as he leaned against Sans’s shoulder, Sans could feel Red’s breath, and he blinked curiously as he heard Red sniffing at him. “Edge has already drunk, I see.” Red hummed, tilting his head. Sans stared out the window as Undyne cast him one last glare from down the road, he couldn’t see her expression, but the vague form of her face stared up at him, and suddenly he felt haunted by his decision. He turned his head away, softly bumping into Red’s cheek, “What?” Sans asked as he tried to find something else to think about. Stressed for the moment. He’d think about it in bed. Maybe he’d write about it.

“You fed Edge up well… That wound looks harsh” Red seemed to find some joy in that statement from his own mouth, but his grin wasn’t completely happy, Sans couldn’t quite figure it out. He nodded gently. “Only this morning, he was a bit… well…” Sans struggled to find the word that wouldn’t sound like he enjoyed the experience. He quickly found that all the words he thought of sprung as risqué.

“Jarring?” Red put the word up faintly as if testing it out in a sentence he had only finished the last word of. “Jarring works. Harsh, crude, also work…” Sans gently rubbed his neck, and the wound buzzed with a bit of pain. “I can patch that up if you want me to. I wouldn’t mind.” Red gently tugged at Sans’s blouse, and the blue-tinted skeleton followed with some hesitation, quickly noticed by Red who gave him a look of slight confusion. Sans figured with a look like that, Red had no ill intentions.

Sans wanted to relax after what transpired anyway. He supposed being doted on would help. So he followed, sleeve clutched gently in Red’s hand. There was a moment where they passed Edge on opposite ends of the stairwell. Looking down at Edge, his form was dipped in harsh shadow, his red pinprick eyes staring up at Red and Sans with suspicion, which Sans supposed wasn’t unfounded. “And what are you doing?” He had asked pointedly at his brother, who gave him a grin as he seemed to boast, “I’m going to heal these wounds you left on the thrall. You should be nicer, he’s your caretaker.”

Edge seemed to take offense at this, taking a step up the stairs, his one foot coming into heavy, orange light from the window, “I need no caretaker!” Red only seemed to snicker at that, taking a step down to match Edge’s attempt at intimidating. Sans startled, but neither vampire seemed to notice.

“Then why ask me to do your dirty work? Aren’t I just a bastard, ay?”

“Aye, you are!”

“OI!” Sans piped up almost at a scream, catching the vampires' attention as he violently ripped his head away from Red’s fingers and held up his hand. “I’ll have no part in your outbursts, sirs!” He chided the both of them with a bit of authority Edge seemed to perk at. Red stood rigid, not looking at Sans, but instead casting his eyes downward. Like a dog that had been scolded.

“Now,” He figured if he was going to keep up his little bit of control in this situation he was in, it would do him well to figure out how to get the vampires on the same side. If they both liked him, he could find more persuasion about them.

Sans took a step down the stairs until he was between the two vampires. Edge lowered his head, he too had that guilty puppy stare, but this time only his head was cast down, his eyes still on Sans’s every move.

“Will you both fix my wounds, or will I have to wander off to do it myself.” Fellow meowed from where she was perched atop the stairs. “With only my Fellow to keep me company?” Wandering off had the implication he’d get himself into trouble. With Fellow, that chance was higher. Red seemed to flush at the mention of fixing up Sans’s wounds with Edge, hell even Edge himself seemed to tense at such a subject. Sans was stubborn though, he remained stone in place as Fellow wrung between his feet, poking her little head out from his gown at times to let out a swipe at a dust bunny on the steps.

Edge, trying to hide a flustered huff, slowly pulled away back into the dark, “Come on…” He grumbled, Sans took that as a “yes” and he gave Red a gesture to follow him. “C’mon.” He nodded, and Red slowly followed him down the stairs.

This was easier then Sans thought it would be, Red washed the wound, Edge washed the puffy white collar and woolen shawls of Sans’s gown. Sans sat quietly with his eyes closed, zoning out sometimes, and other times quickly checking back in to see the progress. Edge was the one to finally tie the gauze around Sans’s neck. Red was the one who thought pinning a little synthetic dandelion on the gauze would be perfect. Edge thought the dahlia would look better, or none at all would be perfect. Sans opted to pick a long branch of Serbian Squill that he looped loosely around the gauze, it stuck quite easily, clinging to the gauze with no discomfort to Sans. At least the vampires could agree it looked better on him then their picks.

Sans didn’t remember what sparked such discourse of false flowers and bodily decoration, but he found it humorous, even if slightly pissed off by the brothers’ seeming inability to hold one conversation without snapping at each other at least once. He stood up finally, even on wobbly legs. He rubbed his neck, minding the faux flowers, and glanced out the window. Autumn afternoons had grown darker now, so the light was fading outside as Sans watched the sun flicking behind swaying trees. The winds outside must have been ferocious. Sans could feel the chill already.

“I think I’ll head back to my room. I want to beat the night chill before it keeps me up.” Sans made a move to turn, lifting his dress in his hand as he stepped to the door.  
He turned at the doorframe, casting a smile to the vampires as they watched him leave, without many words. “Goodnight boys. Try not to bicker much anymore, it bothers the cat.” He made a gesture to Fellow, who was grooming the vampire’s own stark white cat. Apparently, his name was Doomfanger. Quite the curious name for a cat. Sans had a hunch that Edge named the lad. 

Fellow mrowed as she unceremoniously stood up and bounced away from Doomfanger, and found a home under Sans’s skirt. She followed his movements as he left.

The vampires stood in stunned silence for a moment. Red was the first to peck at the silence with a quiet, if not somewhat flustered, “he’s quite pretty…” Red’s smirk said all it needed to, and Edge let out a puff of hot air from between his teeth, almost a hiss, but before Edge could say what was on his mind the entire night, an insult he’d planned out so perfectly, Red looked up at him with some sort of sorrow. “Reminds you of him, dud’nit?”

Edge’s mind fell black. His perfectly pristine, shiny new clever insult was gone, and he couldn’t find it in him to quip up a reply snappy enough to piss Red off. “I’m not talking about him with you.” The rebuke didn’t make sense, Edge didn’t think it needed to. Edge left the room and went the opposite direction Sans had. Doomfanger followed the glimmering tail-end of his cape.

Red was alone.

That wasn’t new.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Im so sorry for the delay in chapters, I fell on some rough times and couldn't find the initiative to write at all IM SORRYYYY   
> Uh anyway, hope you enjoyed this fucky-wucky chapter that I wrote late at night and proofread for two days straight.


	5. A Talk In The Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Red and Sans have a talk ~in the night~

Sans found it hard to sleep soundly that night. Bothered by what he said, his decisions, his own thoughts. Sometimes he found himself wanting to see how far the window was above the ground, just to see if it would kill him.

It would.

He stepped away from the window with an uneasy twist in his stomach. Fellow seemed to know what he was looking for and she came to mew up to him and weave between his legs, lightly clawing at the tights on his legs. He shook her claws away, and lightly picked her up into his arms, bringing her back to bed with him. The night had fallen only a couple of hours ago. If he strained his hearing deep enough, he could hear Edge shuffling about downstairs, perhaps passing time, but by doing what, Sans had no clue. He certainly didn’t have much to do other than write and entertain his cat.

Fellow didn’t seem to want to be entertained though. And she definitely didn’t want him to pass time by doing anything else other than sleeping. Hell, whenever he’d shuffle restlessly in the bed, she was very keen to let him know her dissatisfaction with this minor inconvenience to her beauty sleep, by violently hissing at him, before promptly dropping her head and looking as peaceful as the kitten Sans had rescued from the gutter all those years ago. 

Fellow wasn’t that old of a cat, actually. Sure, five years could be considered feline middle-aged, but she was about as spry as any kitten could ever dream. Sans suspected a long, flourishing life for his cat, though he supposed that may only be his wishful thinking, being her owner and all that. Though, in natural years, Fellow had a long, cheerful, fat road ahead of her. Maybe she’d have kittens someday, though Sans didn’t count on that. Even in season, Fellow clawed away any curious suitor that appeared at the garden window with enough disdain that Sans couldn’t help be a bit proud of her.

Maybe Sans decided to pass the time by personifying his cat more than he usually did. Sometimes he over-thought her personality. Perhaps that was a good thing. Fellow certainly seemed to think so. She was more than happy to give him more material to analyze. Having her there with him made him feel better about his circumstances. Fellow didn’t judge his choices. She just wanted to sleep. He agreed with her wholeheartedly. She seemed to appreciate his cooperation, and he figured this by the way she lay entirely over the crown of his head, just above his brow. She was purring by now. Sans appreciated it.

He had closed his eyes in the time it took for him to finally find something to think wholly about, being Fellow. Fellow was already a rock on his head, a lithe, fluffy rock that sometimes flexed her claws when she caught a particularly juicy mouse in her sweet dreams. Sans didn’t mind. He was finding her purring quite soothing. Just enough to slowly make him lose consciousness.

That was, until he felt a weight just over the last inch of his ribs, and Sans suddenly felt himself startle, eyes shooting open with a cold sweat on his forehead. He couldn’t move, not with Fellow on his head like this. She’d kill him if he moved.

Hostage, was the word that came to mind. He managed to remain calm. He slowly looked down, eyes lingering down as he slowly managed to find the source of the weight on the bottom of his ribs.

The door was slightly ajar, methodical to look just right, as if nothing were wrong with the way Sans would leave it. Leading from the door was a still swaying curtains on the bed, as if they’d been lightly brushed and somehow Sans hadn’t even noticed any weight on the bed until it was on him. On him, was Red, eyes closed, head cast sideways from Sans’s, facing the wall to his right. Red was curled up, an uneven grin on his sharp teeth that made Sans feel uneasy. What was he thinking about? What went on in that head. He let out a scoff, “excuse me.” He grumbled. Red’s eyes fluttered up, and that grin disappeared. His expression turned to something like guilt. “Ah, sorry…” He mumbled gently, shrinking away from Sans as he made a move to go away.

“You can stay, just ask me next time. Asking me would be better than just sneaking in.” Sans rolled his eyes. It's not like he could do much to tell the vampire to behave.  
Red seemed surprised at Sans’s allowance of his stay. It wasn’t like he would’ve stayed if Sans had told him not to, after the event he’d been properly, and justifiably scolded for, he assumed he should adjust his attitude. This thrall was new, different, and Red had to learn. Learning was difficult after being alone for so long, well, not alone, he was with Edge and Muffet all these years but… Alone, as in Edge never really spoke to him other than orders and scolds. Muffet spoke in riddles, tongues, and threats. Anything else was mortal contact, and he wasn’t good at that either. Alone was normal. Alone was peaceful. This mansion could leave him alone in a room for days.

His thought rambled for too long, he was snapped out of his thought by Sans, who asked him a good question, “What goes on in that head of yours? You look lost.”

Red blinked, and nodded softly, “good question…” He grinned as he lay back down easily. “I think about women and wine.”

“I don’t think women and wine distract you. Well, maybe not women.”

“What are you suggesting?”

“I don’t think women are what you like the most. You may like women, sure, but the way you kissed me so savagely, the way you tease, I don’t think you're trying to get under a lady’s skirt.”

This one saw right through him, though to be fair, that wasn’t really hard.

“You don’t strike me as a wine man either.” That one was just to pour a bit of salt onto the scab, with intent, but not really scathing.  
“Fuck off, stop reading me.”

“So I’m right? You’re awfully defensive if I’m wrong.” 

Red glared at Sans with enough force to bring a nervous, but truly humorous giggle out of the thrall, and that little sound of the snrk, the puff of breath through his teeth before he laughed, that sound caught Red’s color, and he looked away.

“You’re awfully cock-stuffed for a virgin,” Red growled, he knew it didn’t make much sense, he just had a comeback and he went with it, not really giving a damn about the sense of his words Sans laughed still.

“Oh, har-har, virgin’s the low-hanging fruit, y’know.” Sans turned up his face, and Red decided to ignore the possibility that Sans may or may not have been teasing him with such a clear line to his neck. He knew Sans wouldn’t do that, most definitely not. But the faint thought that he was, was just fun to think about.

“Well, call me Eve, then, virgin.”

Sans gave Red that glare, that playful thing with no malice, but humor and vinegar. “If Fellow wasn’t on my head, I’d kick you off this bed and push you out myself.”

“You don’t have the arm strength. You’re a noodle.” Red rolled his eyelights, Fellow flicked her tail as if daring him to say any more, and Red knew enough about feline attitude that he shouldn’t prompt the cat any more. “Not that I don’t believe you’ll try… Or your cat will do it for you.” Red gave a questioning look to Fellow, whose fiery eyes had glared down at him now. This cat was frightening. Perhaps Sans had raised the cat from birth to be his hell-born companion.

“Wise decision.” Sans nodded as he reached up and brushed his cat’s chin and she purred loudly, almost deafeningly in the silent room. “So, what brings you? Why sneak into my room and lay on me?”

“Your soft.” Red mumbled, blinking as he lay his head gently over Sans’s ribs. Sans allowed himself to breath slowly, comfortingly to Red perhaps, but mostly to ease Sans of tension. “Softer than my own bed.” Red sighed as he curled up, grinning those sharp teeth, the golden one glinting in the dark room with little reflection to Sans’s own face.  
Sans hummed softly, tilting his head. He gently laid down a hand on the crown of Red’s skull. The only-slightly larger skeleton flinched under Sans’s touch, but didn’t make a move to completely move away. Sans lifted up his hand from where he placed it, tensing as he thought about what he did wrong, trying to figure it out. He waited for Red to settle back, untense. Red sighed slowly as he looked at Sans’s hand, as if analyzing it. Before he settled back down, and gently pressed his head to Sans’s hand. Sans blinked slowly, allowing his hand to settle on Red’s skull once more.

What was that?

Was it a natural reaction?

Sans felt his false belly lurch in sympathy, and he sighed, gently placing both hands on Red’s skull, brushing his thumbs down Red’s skull, a soothing motion he remembered from his own mother, and shared with his brother. It always worked, and that record seemed to keep itself going, evident by Red’s gentle nuzzle into his ribs.

Sans found himself thinking about Fellow’s personification again. She had the attitude of a lioness, a cat much bigger then her, bigger then her body, and Fellow held it proudly in her head.

Little Lion.

Sans smiled lightly at the thought before Fellow let out a loud yawn and hopped down from his head and curled up at his side, laying her head against Red’s arm, propped up like a large pillow. Sans felt Red flinch, but quickly relaxed as Fellow kneaded into his arm. Sans looked to the ceiling, casting shapes across the paint. He hadn’t noticed the wood-pattern up there before. Looking at it, he realized how much work went into this room. How much older it was than the rest of the house. Almost as if it hadn’t been touched in years until Sans’s arrival.

It took Sans a second, before the thought snapped into place, that thought was precisely right.

This room probably belonged to the previous thrall.

Sans felt kind of… odd, being in the room now. But as Red sighed so slowly, contently, against Sans, he suddenly felt better. The room felt warmer, and Sans sighed.

“Red?” Sans whispered softly. Reluctantly, Red hummed an acknowledgment. Red gently curled his legs up, and wiggled deeper into the blankets underneath him. Warm, apparently, Red seemed to relax even deeper into the bed, and against Sans. Sans’s jaw tightened, and he mumbled gently, “This room was always a room for thralls, was it?”  
“Took you this long to realize?” Red blinked softly, looking to Sans with some surprise, disappointment, and curiosity. Very little did Sans really find offense in the notion, but he still rolled his eyes. “I think it’s been in the back of my mind, I just didn’t fully think of it ‘till now.” He grumbled.

Red shrugged, blinking slowly. “Well, you’re right, anyway.” He averted his eyes, tilting his head, as he watched Sans’s face twitch with thoughts he didn’t vocalize until Red prompted him. “We have time to kill if you have any questions.” 

Sans blinked for a moment, and hummed gently, before looking down at Red with a slow, hesitant tense of his face. “What was he like?”

Red tensed, tightening his jaw as he hummed. He lowered his eyelights, slowly opening his mouth as he thought of what to say. How would he describe a person long-gone, whose memory was painted with blood now?

Red took a second to think, before he slowly mumbled, “Well, he was sweet. Soft.” Those two words were the specific terms he remembered, Edge used them a lot to describe him.   
Sans seemed like that wasn’t the most satisfactory answer, as he looked like he was waiting for more.

“You remind me of him. Except, well, he was a constant ball of sunshine, and you fit in perfectly with all the gloom here.”

“I don’t know if this is a compliment or not.” Sans laughed softly. Red snickered, before he shrugged, “take it as a compliment.”

Sans tilted his head as if he wanted an explanation a bit more, that teasing quirk of his brow so easy to make Red flustered. Not now, though.

“You at least look natural here. He was… He was never happy. He smiled, he adored Edge, and Edge adored him endlessly. We had our fun and games, but… Well… There was nothing we could do. He wasn’t happy here.” Red was getting sentimental, so he turned away, mumbling something under his breath about Edge not knowing how to cope.  
Sans’s sockets fluttered, and he sighed softly, raising up his knee as he gently rubbed his fingers along Red’s skull to soothe him. Red sighed into the movements of Sans’s hands, so gentle against his skull he swore that his vampiric cure of constant consciousness would be cured.

“I can see that… Nobody wants to be cramped in one place forever.” He knew it was mean to reason with such a context, but he was right, and Red gave an agreeing nod. “I know…” Red whispered.

Sans gently wrapped an arm up and around Red’s head, cradling his skull against his ribs. “I like it here. I’d like to be able to venture out though…”

To be honest, under nicer circumstances, the revelation of these vampires wouldn’t have been surprising. Well, he supposed it would have been surprising, but he wouldn’t have been against their existence.

He found it humorous, the thought of the undead being among him, and his only thought process being, ‘huh, neat'. He supposed that fit, though. “Edge doesn’t think you would come back.”

“Edge doesn’t think I’ll bite back either. But you know better, if you know me at all.”

Red shrugged, “If you bite him during his next feeding, I’ll bring it up with him.”

Sans quirked his brow, shaking his head. “Nuh-uh.” He quirked his brow, smirking with a laugh that made Red flush. “If you bring it up with him first, then I’ll bite Edge next time I feed him.”

Red considered it for a moment, with a wide pair of red pin-prick eyes. He tilted his head and rolled his eyes as if it truly were a very tricky idea. He smirked, “Deal.”

“Deal.” Sans purred, gently patting Red’s head like a cat, perhaps it was the familiar feline presence that Red gave off. Sans lay his head back. Finally they fell silent once more. Sans still staring at the ceiling, Red purring at his ribs, Fellow harmonizing with him. Sans smiled as he looked towards the mirror on the other side of the room. Red looked so peaceful, of his his hands were even lightly scratching Fellow’s head. Sans smiled to the mirror at Red and Fellow, neither noticing, both of their eyes closed and dozing. 

Sans knew Red couldn’t sleep, but this was close enough. Calm, quiet, and best of all, warm. A living blanket. Perfect for Sans, who got cold easily.

“Goodnight.” He whispered softly, nuzzling into his pillows and sighed. Red hummed back a muddled “goodnight” with the enthusiasm of a drunken sailor who had collapsed onto a warm mattress for the first time in months.

Goodnight it was, then. And finally, the silence was peaceful, and Sans slipped into sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the break in chapters again, I was busy-  
> Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter, I like progressing the relationship. It's quite nice~


	6. The Garden

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Red takes Sans out to the garden.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really liked writing this chapter lol.  
> I have a couple more chapter stockpiled, so now I can keep up a weekly update for a while, so that's cool~

A pair of Mourning Doves has made a nest outside of Sans’s window. He had only noticed it the morning after his talk with Red, but the sounds of the male dove’s cooing had woken him up. He stretched slowly, Fellow nowhere to be seem, neither was Red, and the door was slightly ajar.

The doves turned to him with a twitch of their head. He watched them move with a soft adoration for the birds. The female returned to the nest, and the pair preened each other happily. The female took the male’s place, and he took off, the whistling noise of his wings making Sans sigh. The female dove huddled up and puffed up her feathers. She was covering her eggs.

Oh to be a bird.

What a cliche thought. He should write that…

Sans laughed softly to himself as he crawled out of his bed. He didn’t even think of changing clothes, he was comfortable in his nightgown, no use wasting a perfectly good gown, which he’d likely only wear for a couple hours anyway.

The nightgown’s laces frilled against his bones and he subconsciously pulled his socks higher, and perhaps he pull the dress down a bit. As he looked into the mirror, he hummed and lightly puffed the dress a bit, it jostled with heavy frills, and Sans laughed lightly. Cute.

Sans slowly turned and left the room, turning down the hallway, and trailing where there was the sound of two cats meowing incredibly loud. Perhaps it was Fellow, and maybe Doomfanger, too. Sans found humor at the thought of the two cats violently meowing at each other from across a room. 

He turned down the stairs, and the two cats were looking up at something. Sans slowly stepped at the bottom of the stairs with a slow blink, humming softly as he tilted his head.  
The two cats stared up at a figure in the rafters of the room, a simple foyer where the stairs turned downwards to the bottom floor once more, turned off into Edge’s office, and another room at the opposite ends that Sans hadn’t explored. Sans followed the eyeline of the two felines, and he found himself only slightly surprised by Edge sitting up there, holding a string with a line of feathers. Edge blinked down at him, and nodded with a greeting. Sans would have spoken his good morning if it hadn’t been for Edge slowly lifted up his finger in a ‘hush’ movement.

Sans stood silent, and looked down with curiosity. The cats watched the feathers bustle, he saw it in their eyes. Edge began to inch along the rafters, and the cats followed, inching along with their little paws. Their eyes were locked on those feathers, and Sans found it humorous, the hunting of the cats.

Edge smiled, and Sans found himself flushed at the look of endearment he had towards the cats. If Fellow had been Sans’s best and most loyal companion, perhaps Doomfanger was on a similar plane of closeness to Edge. He found it funny, and he watched the feathers drop to the ground, Doomfanger and Fellow leaping on the feather string with clear intentions. Edge was as silent as a mouse as he landed on the ground with elegance. It was impressive, though Sans found himself trying to scientifically explain Edge’s silent movements.

“Are you hungry?” Edge asked gently, brushing his hand to Sans’s shoulder. Their eyes met for a fleeting moment, before Sans gently turned his head away, lowered away with a smile. “Not really.”

“You haven’t eaten much at all… I’m getting worried about you.”

“Us skeletons don’t each much.”

“I’m no regular skeleton, little bird, I wouldn’t know anymore.” Edge seemed to fidget at his own words, picking at them like carrion. Sans nodded. “If it’ll make you feel better, I’ll eat. I just won’t take any big meals.” He explained, brushing his arm with a small hand. Everything about him was small compared to Edge, he remembered the thought with a heavy aegean, evading his face to keep Edge from seeing.

“What time is it?”

“Morning still. The clock hasn’t even muffled mid-day yet.” Edge gently brushed past Sans as he took a step towards the stairs. “Come now, I’d like to make you a little breakfast.”  
Sans followed with no protest. Being pampered was fine. The conversation he had with Red bubbled in his head, and he smiled softly. He didn’t know if Red had talked to Edge yet, but he was itching to get that bite in. He’d find the time.

The dining room, the ballroom with a length of a table in the middle of it, the loneliness of it somewhat haunted him, was gray from the light outside. The clouds were heavy, overcast. Sans tilted his head as he sat at his seat. “Looks like it’s going to rain,” mumbling under his breath, he gently engaged Edge in conversation.

“Smells like it out there. Electric too. A storm, perhaps.” Edge nodded as he spoke, tossing a rag over the table and inching away as he rattled a couple of plates to reach for a bowl from a rolling set of porcelain ways into the corner of the room. Though bare, the architecture and paintings along the wall made up for the lack of furniture.

“Storms are nice. I always liked the thunder. Lighting scares me though.” Sans looked down as he watched Edge’s pale shadow ripple across the well-waxed tiles. Sans could just imagine himself slipping on the floor if he were any less wise-toed.

“No fear in here, little blue bird, I’ll keep you covered from any electrical anomalies that happen to flash in the sky.”

“How eloquent.” Sans purred as he turned to Edge, who was taking plates and bowls into his hand. “Thank you.” Edge mumbled quietly from where he stood, and turned, and began to spindle across the room on those elegantly-aware long legs.

“What’s your tastes, today, bird?” Edge asked as he sat a plate in front of Sans. He sat a bowl around too, and a porcelain cup meant for teas. The designs painted on these plates were floral, and Sans felt pleasant. 

“Sweet tooth.”

“Something sweet? Ah, my expertise.”

“Oh really?”

“No… But of course, I know how to bake.” Edge averted his eyes for a moment, and he snickered softly, covering a portion of his face as if he was suddenly struck with shyness. Sans laughed, and he curled up in his chair, “surprise me.”

“Surprise you?”

“Remember, keep it small. I’m not too hungry.” 

Edge seemed to take it as a challenge, if the fanged smirk that streaked his face said anything. Sans felt a part of him regret it, but still, he felt his body twitch with nerves and he smiled. Edge would surprise him, oh absolutely, the man couldn’t do shit without making it a challenge, but Sans knew such a challenge would make Edge very, very eager to please him. If Sans ended up not liking what was made for him, he would feel the guilt like sandpaper.

“Your challenge is accepted, bird.”

Sans didn’t expect to fall over after eating an entire two pounds of chocolate cake, pies, and strawberries dipped in them too. He was heaving as his body tried to adjust to such a drastic intake of food, and he stared at that shit-eating grin on Edge’s face, he could just hear his “I told you so” types of remarks, and Sans could feel it all crumble over his head and he whined. “I guess two-hundred years of living have made you quite the baker…”

“I owned a bakery once. Used to be the talk of that old town.” He sounded so wistful as if his memories were fantasies. To Sans, they could have been. He was merely mortal after-all. Vampires used to be his mother’s sleepy fairy tales, their stories were fantasies of their own in Sans’s realm. “A baker, I thought sweets wasn’t your expertise.”

“Spicy things and herbs that burn. Those are my realm.”

“Sadistic.”

Edge grinned even wider as he stood up. “Are you finished eating?”

“If I ate any more, I think It'd hurt…”

Edge laughed softly, and he gently took up the leftovers, he may have gone a bit overboard. Well, he did. But Sans ate most of it all the same. “This will be in the chilling pantry if you want the rest. I’ll show you later.” Edge reminded him as he left for a moment, before returning with bare hands meant to help Sans up and usher him back up the stairs.  
Thunder rumbled outside, and Sans sighed gently, gently patting his gown at the top of the stairs. “I think taking a bath would be good for me today.”

“Do you want me to run one for you?”

“Absolutely not.” Sans blinked up at Edge. The tall skeleton averted his eyes with some sort of grin, “fair.”

Sans laughed as he walked past Edge and bound up the stairs with a smile. “Thank you though.” He winked lightly down at Edge, who fidgeted at the sight of it. Sans snickered softly before he fled away.

Rosemary was a scent that made Sans think of his mother. His delight at finding petals, soaps, and washes scented with the pleasant floral, was probably a bit dramatic. A gasp and a squeak of joy. Perhaps he was a child at heart who had found a new toy in the backyard.

The scent of it afterward, after exhausting himself of the scent in the misty bath, damp and heavy in the air, was even better. Maybe he ruined it? No, definitely not.  
A gentle knock on the bathroom door made Sans yelp. As he wrapped a towel quickly around his body, he replied, “yes?”

“Hey, before the storm comes in, would you like to see the garden?”

That was Red’s voice. Sans found himself surprised at its raspy tone, and he hummed, blinking suspiciously. “Oh? A garden?”

“Yes, ma’am, a garden. It’s got trees and flowers, you comin’ or not?”

Sans rolled his eyes and he beat a hand against the door. Maybe he gave Red a good jump from beyond the door. “Sure, but if it rains on me, you’re drying Fellow.”  
“I’ll take that challenge, babe.” Red let out a loud laugh from the other side, and Sans rolled his eyes. He went silent as he changed clothed. Thanking his lucky stars that this bathroom was connected to his bedroom, he changed into a more fitting outfit, a lacy garden dress that fell in heavy laces to just below his knees. He pulled on a pair of black stockings just so that he could keep his leg chastity. If any of these vampires got a glance at his legs, he wouldn’t let them hear the end of it. Or perhaps it would be the other way around…

He threw on his blue and woolen shawl, leaving the door open as he left his room, clipping his shawl into place. Red was waiting beside the bathroom door with his back to the wall, arms crossed. As he turned to Sans, he grinned, quirking a brow with quite the look of satisfaction. Sans was getting nervous. 

“Looking very cute, I see.” Red snickered. Sans blushed, and he crossed his arms. “Looking like you’re about to become the next dark romanticism villain, I see.”

“Nah, that’s more Edge.” Red rolled his eyes as he snickered, lifting off the wall as he offered an arm. “Besides, I’d like to be a hero, rather than a villain.”

“Oh really. You’ll have to try a bit harder at that.”

“Gross.” Red snickered, “I’d rather sleep. Guess I’ll stay the villain.”

Sans laughed as he took Red’s arm, “I would expect nothing less from you.” 

Red seemed to understand the jab, if that burst of a laugh he let out said anything at all.

Red led Sans down the mansion’s steps once more. Truly, Sans didn’t explore the mansion all that much. He had his particular route between the areas he was at the most. His bedroom, his bathroom. The library was down a tiny platform of stairs down the hall, and on the opposite end of the hallway was the greenhouse he hadn’t gone into yet. Down those steps near the library, which connected the two stories of the house, Sans could go to his and Edge’s personal spot, the place Sans had been feasted from. Otherwise, he could go down another flight of stairs to the bottom floor to see the foyer, or move into the dining ballroom. Sans supposed he should ask Edge to tour him around sometime.  
But it was Red’s time now, and Red wanted to go to the garden. 

Edge had been right, Sans could just smell the density of the clouds in the air, the density of the humidity, the lightning fizzling up in the atmosphere.

Sans hummed as Red waited for him to assess his surroundings. Red had learned, slowly, to let Sans take his time taking in the scenery. He had to note everything down, and Red had learned, even just a little bit, of patience. As Sans slowly took a step down, Red matched him, and eagerly took lead. Sans followed beside him with some hesitance of the clouds above them.

“Edge tends to this garden a lot. You’d be surprised how much of a green thumb he has.”

“He has a lot of hobbies,” Sans commented, gently taking up a side of his dress to keep it from brushing a rose bush. He could see the pricking thorns along the side of it that would easily shred his fabrics. The roses were growing a rich brown with the time, a type of color only seen in paintings with the storm. Everything looked painted today. Perhaps it was just Sans imagining that the storm was somehow a zealous painting above his head, turning the world, his canvas, into an autumn’s storm of rich grays and browns.

Sans wouldn’t have minded it if the lightning in the distance didn’t make him so uneasy.

“Yeah. You’d have a lot of hobbies too if you were as quick as him, but had nothing to do in your age.” Red shrugged, and he sat down at a bench that was nestled within a hydrangea bush, making sure to unhook his arm from Sans’s.

Sans nodded, “I suppose,” and he gently crouched down to view the flowers closer. The flowers were meant for Spring and Summer, and now Summer had drifted away. The autumn chill gently brushed Sans’s dress across the ground and he held it down with a hand as he absentmindedly observed the flowers fall apart.

“Does Edge know I’m out here…?” He asked faintly as he realized that, out here in the open, it would be considered easy to run off. He had no intention to, he knew damn well he couldn’t outrun a vampire, let along out power one, but he thought Edge would be quite wary of him being outside.

“Not really. Not like he needs to know.” Red winked as he grinned, and he laid back against the bench, propping up his head on a hand against the arm of the bench.

“Delinquent.”

“Oh, you have no idea.” The way Red groaned out that ‘oh’ made Sans’s cheeks burn wildly and he turned his head with a laugh. “What’s he doing that lets you sneak me out like a damsel?” Asking would get him somewhere. Red hummed as he tried to find his words. Sans waited patiently.

“Well, Edge visits someone around this time at least once every week. This was his time, and the week’s coming to a close.” Red nodded as he decided on his words. Sans nodded, but there was something in Red’s voice that seemed like a euphemism.

“Someone… or something?”

Red seemed to be jarred by Sans’s deep-dive into the tone of his voice, before he sighed and decided, “You’re too smart for your own good. Both.”

That was it. Sans nodded softly. He stood up as he wandered the garden aisles. Coming up the aisle behind Red, he gently leaned over the head of the bench, looking down at Red.

Red blinked up at him with a hint of his namesake color tinting the cheeks of his skull. “Yeah?” 

“What do you do with your age?”

Red grinned as he flicked a hand against Sans’s fingers, “what, gonna intrude on it?”

“Well, depends on if you’re boring or not.”

Red shot up, “I’m not boring!”

“Didn’t say you were. I’m just curious.” Sans laughed softly, crossing his arms as he shifted his pelvis, setting his weight on one foot, while the other swiveled in the dirt. He stared Red down with equal humor and venom.

“Well, I do plenty in my daily routine.”

“Like?”

“Get up… And, y’know… Sit in the greenhouse and fight Muffet sometimes.”

“Fight Muffet sometimes?”

“Like… At least once a week.”

“I was lying about thinking you were boring.”

“I know that.” Red was flustered as he turned his head away, crossing his arms with a puffy scowling look.

Sans laughed softly, “Red-” Thunder cut him off, and he looked up as rain began to petal the ground, flurry the uneasy dirt before stamping it down entirely as the rain progressively got heavier.

“We should go back inside. Too bad, I was excited about seeing you run around.” Red shook his head, the fur on his cloak just about tamped down already by the rain. Sans laughed as he began to speed walk down the aisle of flowers. “No use crying over spilled milk now. C’mon, before we get wet.” He called back at Red, who followed a bit quicker, quietly.

Sans hopped up the stairs, holding his skirt in his hands. Red made it up the stairs, damn vampiric speed, picking Sans up on the last step by the waist. Sans squeaked as he was hoisted up. Oh, so this was what Red’s plans were. Well, consider Sans wooed, and he purred lightly as Red footed the door open and carried him inside. Sans would’ve thought that Red would put him down in the backdoor foyer, but Red continued to carry him. Sans’s didn’t protest though, he was curious.

Red carried him into a sitting room to the side, hexagonal in shape, and sat him onto a couch that came straight out of a painting he’d seen once, a woman in a white gown draped over the high arm of the couch, which the low arm allowed her ankles to relax atop each other.

Sans watched Red move swiftly across the room, dragging a towel from a shelf and tossing it gently over Sans. Red on the other hand, took no towel, and he instead tossed his cape over a chair on the other side of the room. He gently walked across the room once more, and took a tin and a bottle from the same shelf he’d taken the towel from. Sans watched him sit the tin and bottle down on the coffee table in front of Sans.

“What are you doing?” Sans asked curiously, smiling over at Red who pulled up a chair and curled up on it. “Letting you in on the fun of doing absolutely fuckin’ nothing.” Red snickered as he kicked up his feet. “Take a cookie, have some wine, I promise I didn’t poison it.”

Sans quirked his brow, and gently leaned to take a cookie from the tin. “What kind of cookies are these?”

“Just sugar cookies. I think there’s a butter cookie in there or two, as well.” Red nodded as he took one as well. “Edge likes keeping them in separate tins, but I mess them up sometimes. When he gets angry it spices things up.” Red grinned mischievously as he took a bite out of a cookie. Crumbs of sugar fell down onto the arm of the chair. 

Sans laughed, “You’re so mean to him.”

“He’s mean to me.” Red spoke muffled through his cookie, and Sans tilted his head. He didn’t pry, only smiled, and nodded. Mean to each other, he thought, and took a bite out of his cookie.

A couple glasses of wine, a cookie or two, Sans sprawled out on the couch with a relaxed look, sighing slowly as he found himself tired. Red seemed to notice, but he yawned too and merely seemed to match Sans’s look.

“Can…” Sans took a second to snicker and gather his thoughts. “Can a vampire even get tipsy?”

“Tipsy, maybe, yeah.” Red drawled, snickering as he curled up in the chair. “Can’t get drunk though, I miss it…” Red let out a laugh, and he sighed slowly, laying back with great relaxation. “Edge would kill me if he found out we drank this.” Red clumsily rolled around in his chair, sighing against the fabrics, watching Sans nuzzle into his couch.  
“What Edge doesn’t know won’t kill him, right?”

“I like you, you’re fun.” Red grinned, his sharp teeth glinting as he slowly picked up the wine bottle and put it back on the shelf, considerably more empty then when he’d first brought it out. When he cleared the table of wine glasses too, he decided it should probably take Sans to bed. Sans held onto him, nuzzling into Red’s shoulder. “I can walk, y’know.” Sans huffed.

“I know, but I don’t want you to trip or anything still.”

“Aww,” Sans crooned, grinning up at Red, “you do care.”

Red found that funny. “Maybe, or maybe I just don’t want to spoil a meal.”

Sans stuck a mild blue tongue out teasingly, but said no more. Red carried Sans up in silence. The day had been turned a dark blue-gray sundown outside, and thunder still rumbled, lightning flashing quickly. Sans hid his eyes from the flashing lights, sockets shut tight to keep away the startling flash.

It was obvious to Red, who noticed Sans’s discomfort almost instantly. He made sure to be very gentle with setting Sans down in his bed, tighten up the curtains around the canopy, puffing them up to look thicker, perhaps help keep out the flashing lights. Sans watched Red move, with a tired drag in his eyelights, following Red along.  
Red sighed as he peeked through the curtains. “I’ll leave you alone. Goodn-”

“Can you stay with me?”

Red was taken aback by the suddenness of Sans’s request. He seemed almost entirely sober now, even with the soft blue tint on his cheeks. “Just for a bit… Until I fall asleep… I’m sorry-” “That’s alright. I have nothing better to do.” Red smirked as he lowered himself down, hiding within the enclave with Sans as he slowly draws the only-somewhat-smaller skeleton close to him. Sans settled underneath Red’s head, curled up in his lap, and Red was not oblivious to the copious flinches from Sans with each flash of lightning, lighting up the room with its ferocity. Sometimes, they crackled, instead of a the soothing thunder, as if a tree was breaking in half, before booming above them. Sans curled up much tighter.

Red pitied the bluer skeleton. Red had once been frightened of the thunder, but that fear, like most of them, had tapered off with age. Sans was connected to the mortal coil, fears still clung to him like briers.

There was a loud meow at the door, and it creaked open with another obvious, loud meow. “Fellow,” called Sans from Red’s arms, and the black cat, a blended black shroud of a creature in the light, before she was illuminated by lightning, leaped onto the bed, wide pumpkin eyes staring at her owner with intention. She leaped, claws attaching to his gown, and she curled onto his belly, effectively trapping Sans against Red. Sans held his cat close, curled up against Red and the pair sat in silence, broken only by Fellow’s purring. Suddenly, the lightning, it’s crackle, the thunder too, seemed to grow quiet in Sans’s senses.

Perhaps it was the purring of the cat that lulled Sans to sleep. Maybe Red’s gentle, close cradle, had done it.

Sans didn’t know. Maybe it was both. He didn’t mind either way.

Blissfully, Sans felt a familiar warm form on his ribs, and another, much larger warmth, at his side, and he felt it like a rock in his false organs, maybe he dug himself a bit too deep here.

He was too quick asleep to realize the thought was grand.


	7. My Soul, A Fireplace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans finds himself in distress the morning after his garden walk with Red.  
> Edge takes a walk with Sans to a meadow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is where the plot starts to really progress~~  
> Also, it starts off lewd, Sans had a moment to himself. Non-lewd place is after the page break.

Perhaps he wasn’t meant to sleep in his garden dress, he realized as he rose up with a sore back, and an uncomfortable brushing against his legs by the lace and ruffles. Sans rubbed his neck, it had a crick in it from the way he slept. His nerves were fried, his bones heavy, like he was sore from wrestling a bear. Fellow was laying at his feet, watching him with those warm, curious feline eyes that knew every little beat of his soul down to the note in her head.

The morning was dark, Sans didn’t even think the sun would rise for another 30 minutes if the pale orange flicker in the mountain said anything, but the sky was still black. The room was lit only by a single candle, contained in a rather regal bronze holder, the patterns on the holder left the impression of dancing ladies in the shadows.

Sans sighed as he walked across the room, the bed was empty. Tearing off the dress, very gently as to not rip the fabrics, but he was eager to get it off him. The morning was cold, but he was smoldering in that dress. He found a thin black gown that fell to just above the knee in the back of the wardrobe. It had sheer black sleeves that became puffy around his elbows and came to tighten mid-arm with lace bows. Feeling a bit like he wanted desperately to feel like how that dress looked, he gently slipped it over his bones, and looked himself in the mirror. It only took him a glance at himself to figure out how he would get back to sleep, and what would soothe his nerves. 

Fellow was a bit reluctant to be put in the bathroom, she scratched at the door for a moment, before Sans put her food and water bowl with her, and she was content, at least for now.

Sans crawled back into bed, and for a moment, lay on his back trying to jog his imagination. He breathed for a minute, before his hands slowly lifted up the dress, rolling his eyes at the embarrassment at himself. He was no stranger to this sort of thing, living alone for so long, no lovers to speak of for just about his entire life- stop thinking about it.

This was just him. All alone, his time to make himself feel better. He drew the curtains of his bed tightly closed, and he slowly ran a soft hand down his femur, grazing the neck of it, across the socket in the pelvis. He twitched and did the same to his other side. He closed his eyes, forcing his breath to slow. His mind wandered, a soft, sticky sensation running through his body, and he let a blue, glowing ecto snap into place. His breasts swelled, pushing up the fabric of his gown a bit. He ran a hand from his chest, down his belly, and settling on his thighs, while the other, his right hand, ventured farther down.

He winced as his fingers gently grazed his pussy, and he opened his eyes, seeing the soft glow of his ecto line the bottom of his vision. He refused to look down, instead, he stared up at the wooden ceiling.

He had to be quiet. He didn’t know who’d be listening here. He had to make sure his body didn’t give too much away. He knew Edge was hyper-aware of his very presence, and Red, well, Sans didn’t know what Red could feel of him.

That thought frightened him, but he felt himself grow warm with it.

Damn. Discovering things about himself now of all times was easily his most embarrassed, but his body yearned for satisfaction, and he’d be damned if he didn’t give it to himself. Sans bit back a whimper as his left hands lowered the shoulder of his gown, and he pinched delicately at his nipple through the fabric. His right hand toyed with his delicate bud of nerves with teasing circlets, his mind wildly wandering disparately to find something to get him off.

Sans’s breath began to quicken against his will, without much thought, his left hand came up to his neck, gently tracing the bitemark on his neck, pressing it now made him gasp, which he silenced with his own hand. His legs clasped together, and he listened, eyes wide as sat in silence for just a second…

No reactions, no footsteps, silence. Thank whatever god there was, Sans sighed slowly, and he slowly opened his legs one more, his right hand returned to his pussy, while his left clasped his neck.

Well, if it felt that good to make him gasp… Maybe he could exploit that to his advantage. It had done plenty for Sans’s body to push him forward into pleasure, perhaps he could get this done quickly and finally settle back down. 

Sans slowly paced his fingers long his neck, brushing the bitemark, his body becoming warm, and he bit down his noises in favor of controlling his breathing.   
He imagined a hefty arm around his waist, holding him up and pressing against him, he arched his back to match the fantasy. He dipped his fingers into his pussy, while the palm of his hand teased his clit, he let himself breath a bit, he felt his spine pop with satisfaction in the way he arched. He slowly pressed his fingers deeper, scissoring and flexing them to stimulate himself.

A non-existent lover whispered something Sans didn’t hear into the side of his skull, and his response was a breathless heave of his ribs as he rubbed just the right place.  
Sans drew himself closer to orgasm with every graze of his most sensitive spots, he grew more adventurous with every passing minute, growing quicker in the movements of his hands, rougher in the treatment of the bitemark on his neck.

When the time came, his toes curled almost painfully, and his back arched into a lover that only existed into his mind, he gasped, and in that passing moment, a flash of scarlet fell over his mind, a glimmer of teeth, a familliar voice whispering his name, and Sans squeaked aloud, back peaking far as it could go as ecstasy shot through him at the image in his head, but deep down he was mortified.

Perhaps that spurred it on, especially was his legs rose and shook with the might of the high that spread over him like a hot blanket, he realized he hadn’t felt it this strongly before, and he rolled over onto his belly, desperate to hold onto something stable, he found the headboard with his left hand, as he right hand fell slickly out of him.

Sans whimpered, burying his head in his pillow as he curled up, into the blanket underneath him. His breath heaved, and he tried to forget the image in his mind, hands holding him up, treating him so delicately as familiar, loving teeth sunk into his neck- fucking stop!

He slowly lifted himself up, pulling his dress back down, fixing the sleeve back onto his shoulder. Focusing his eyes on the headboard of his bed, the woman and the wolves, carved masterfully of wood, he realized just how drained he was now, how much his body shook with what was left of that exhilaration.

Why did he like it? Why did that image do him in like that?

He sighed, and slowly, on uneasy legs, pushed himself off the bed and opened the door, letting Fellow back out into the room, which she shot into as if she had come straight from hell with her tail on fire.

Sans didn’t even pay mind to it, stumbling back to bed, numbly in awe at how much his body had reacted. He didn’t fall back to sleep on a pillow. He fell back to sleep sideways, his ecto body desummoning itself as its use wore off, and he was no longer sustaining it in consciousness. With one last exhausted sigh, his body feel limp, silent in the room with the exception of his shallow breath.

“You slept in,” Edge’s voice was more of an audible note then a statement, and with Sans’s aching, he barely registered he was still in his own bed. Edge had come to wake him up. “And you’re…” Edge tilted his head as he tried to find the words, “Not laying on a pillow.”

Sans looked down at himself. He was looking at his pillows instead of at the foot of his bed, and he blinked confusedly. He felt heavy as if every movement was a labor of moving iron. He rose up slowly, brushing his hand against his spine to calm the ache in his body. He didn’t even do anything terribly straining, but as he allowed himself to remember, he blushed madly and covered himself in a blanket. “Sorry…” He mumbled softly. 

“It’s alright, I just didn’t want your sleep schedule to be wildly affected.” Edge lifted himself back up, crossing his arms. Fellow meowed as she softly brushed Edge’s arm, and he gently scratched underneath her chin, her purr almost deafening. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to take you on a walk.” 

“A walk?” Sans asked, surprised.

“I think it would be good for you to have independence. I’m willing to allow, it. I don’t want you to feel like you’re caged…” It was clear that Edge was struggling with his words, but something about it told Sans that he had rehearsed it, even with some fragile words with unsteady choices in his voice.

Oh.

Sans smiled.

“Oh, Red did talk to you?”

Edge’s expression dropped instantly, a shadow over his face as he heaved his ribs. “Oh.” Edge slowly tilted his head and averted his eyes, “Y- yes.” He visibly grimaced.  
“I was thinking the bastard wouldn’t.” Sans laughed, “So what, are you wanting to take me out, now?” Sans asked, a bit hesitant about it with how much his body was reluctant to move now.

“Well, not now, I was just thinking with, after the storm yesterday and how the leaves are fresh with colors, it would be nice.” Sans could just see the word ‘together’ dancing in Edge’s mouth, and Sans softly blushed.

“Sounds fun.” Sans smirked as he held his blanket closely to keep out the room-temperature cold. “I’m a bit hungry though..”

“I can make eggs for you, that’s small if you’re in the ‘small foods’ mood still?” Edge offered. Sans nodded, “Perfect. Can I eat in bed? It’s comfy.” Sans smirked. Perhaps making Edge work for him after the particular thought he had last night was pleasing to him now. It would be great. Edge shrugged, “I wouldn’t mind. You’re responsible for what mess you make though.”

“What mess can I make with eggs?” 

Edge snickered as Sans quirked his brow up at him, but shrugged, and he turned around and began to walk out, “I’m just letting you know your independence has responsibilities.”

“I’m a grown-ass man!” Sans called, but Edge only replied with an animalistic snicker, a hissing raccoon-like snicker, but it only endeared Sans a bit more.

Stop that, harlot. 

Oh, alright, self-conscious, he decided, and he tilted his head, “Fellow-wellow!” He called, deliberately trying to take his mind off of the terrible thoughts he’d had last night, what he’d done, and what his dreams were filled with. He softly held his cat in his arms, playing absentmindedly with her little paws, flexing her claws with pressing her little paw-pads.

Red was nowhere to be seen, Muffet’s giggles were muffled in the library behind closed doors, and Doomfanger was sleeping in a window sill in Edge’s sitting room. Sans had dressed himself in a short garden dress, falling to his knees and pluming out. The sleeves tapered off and fell into a bells at his elbows. He played fondly with the lace in his fingers as he walked beside Edge, who was silent, brooding.

The clouds covered the sun today, the noticeable chill whispered in the red leaves that broke the dirt path, and in the gangly pale tree limbs. Though there was no scent of rain, it looked nice out. The colors were vibrant, beautiful silhouettes against the clouds.

Edge stood in the shadow of the path, staring forwards, his figure was tense and poised. Sans tilted his head as he gently moved sideways and brushed the taller skeleton, “you alright?”

Edge looked down at him with a soft, glinted pair of scarlet eyelights, “yes?”

“You’re so tense,” Sans observed aloud, looking up at Edge with half-lid, curious eyes, his stature was slouched and lazy, but even then, he was invested in this fun little walk they were on.

“My apologies, I didn’t even realize…” Edge tensed, even more, his hand tightened together behind his back, and his legs took on some sort of formal gait.

“Edge~?” Sans smiled lightly, quirking his brow, drawing out Edge’s name in his mouth with a suspicious question. Edge flinched, the first Sans had ever seen, “Yes?”

“Can I learn what’s going on up there? How’s the weather in there?”

“What?”

“Whatcha thinkin’?”

“Oh.” Edge somehow grew taller, and then he finally slouched, relaxing slightly, and he looked down to Sans, “I’m thinking about how nice this walk is.”  
“You’ve been tense and flustered this entire time.” Sans smiled teasingly.

“You’re too observant for your own good.”

“I think it’s one of my best traits.” Sans rose up taller, grinning with triumph.

Edge rolled his eyes, “I, and all due respect, little bird, disagree.”

Sans flushed, and he glared up at him, “oh? Please elaborate!”

Edge shrugged, “Let’s find a place to relax first. Sit before I explain to you how utterly confusing I find you.”

“Seems like a fun conversation.” Sans snickered, letting a playful sneer creased his teeth as he crossed the road and decided he’s run off the beaten path, literally.

“What are you doing?” He heard Edge ask from where he stopped, Sans was already hanging on to an outcrop of slate, which stuck out from a curving arch of land that lined the path as far as the eye could go. The path had evidently been carved out of the land, leaving these high crags.

“Climbing!” Sans answered as he looked down at his progress, making sure he didn’t rip his dress as he hiked up a leg onto another outcrop, pushing himself up again, pulling at a branch that crumbled out from under his touch. He stumbled a bit, but he felt a gentle hand on his spine, keeping him up, safely out of the ground's reach. He smiled down at Edge, who watched him with a relaxed, curious set of eyelights that sparked Sans to smile wide and tilt his head.

“Why?” Edge asked softly, helping push Sans up. Sans grabbed onto a root on the top of the stretch, and he held onto it for dear life as he pulled himself clumsily up the slate, and onto the top of the climb. He cleared dirt from his dress triumphantly, staring at what he’d reached with a happy, smile. A giddy beat began to thrum in his soul like a happy percussion. Sans turned just in time to see Edge had already climbed his way up, looking down the steep, short cliff, then looking up at Sans with still-curious eyes.

“Because if we kept going down the path, where would my independence go?” He then pointed to the meadow in front of him, a small pool in the middle with a creek striking through it. Rocks littered the bank of the creek. Sand, thick plots of grass, and wildflowers made safe places to settle down.

Edge blinked at the meadow, looking pleasantly impressed, before he smirked up at Sans, “This is my favorite trait of yours.” He pointed it out simply, and as he stood up, Sans could swear he saw blush, but it was gone as soon as Edge stood his full height, towering over Sans and the smaller skeleton could swear his face was on fire. He turned away with a smile, feeling a chill down his spine, and he crossed his arms. “It better be.” He purred, turning and walking into the middle of the meadow. He slowly spread his dress around his legs as he kneeled, and sat onto his legs. “It’s cool up here.” He assessed, blinking slowly as he laid back, spreading out his arms. His head was near the creek, if he turned to press the side to the ground, he could hear the groundwater underneath.

Edge kneeled beside him, looking at him curiously. “Are you planning on staying here?”

“Yep. What I say goes today.” Sans smiled over at Edge with a mischievous yellowed glint in his dark blue eyelights. Edge seemed apprehensive.

“Come on… Just lay here with me for a little while. Let’s cloud watch together.” Sans made sure to emphasize ‘with me’ and ‘together’ something that sparked the crimson in Edge’s cheekbones to rear up, but he rolled his eyes, sighed, and fell over beside Sans as if to hide it quickly.

Sans smirked, having gotten his way, a smug expression on his face.

The cat who got the cream.

“Thank you, Edge.” He purred, and Edge let out an audible shaky breath.

They laid in silence for a while, Sans sometimes mentioned when the clouds took shapes, but other than that, their mutual silence made room for the songbirds, the chilly breeze, and the rustling leaves.

The sun poked through the clouds once, and by then, Sans assumed enough time had passed by. He looked over to Edge, and he paused.

Edge had never looked peaceful. He had looked relaxed some, but never peaceful. Sans took in the sight, the way the little pocket of sunlight, as it caught them in the beam of it, sparkled off the white of his bones, glistening in the silver of his outfit. He glowed. His eyes were closed, and his body was lax, the only motion of his living, well, perhaps his undeath, was the lift of his ribs with each little breath. Wildflowers lined his skull, fluttering in the breeze, brushing the grass, and Edge’s skull, with elegance, somehow unmatched to Edge’s own. 

Sans felt his own betrayal, as a shaky whisper left his teeth, “Edge…?” 

Edge’s eyes fluttered open, and his face turned to Sans, his eyelights slower to do so. He blinked in acknowledgment, not a sound leaving his form.

“So, what is it that’s going on in your head?” Sans asked, his blinking becoming slow and fluttery, caught in the moment, he realized just how fairy-tale this was, a story he’d be told in quiet glee by his mother. He realized that, if his mother was still around, she would have begged him to write about it. He turned the thought away.

Edge blinked, registering what he’d said, and nodded. A smirk creased his face, and he laughed, “I think about how you fit into things. I think about life, or, my undeath.” He tilted his head, blinking slowly. “I think about Red sometimes… Muffet creeps in, like the spider she’s is.” Edge looked up finally, lights creeping up and down, to the sides sometimes as he traced the clouds. Sans watched him, entranced, enthralled in how Edge’s words seemed to creek out his mouth with rawness.

“Perhaps, I think too much. Perhaps I should observe more, like you do. You’re more peaceful than I am.” Edge lowered his eyes as he let out a slow sigh.

“You look pretty peaceful right now…” Sans smiled lightly, eyes wide as he rolled onto his side, propping himself up on his own shoulder. Edge looked at him once more, some sort of surprise on his face. “Red has been right about some things, but he was wrong about making you admit things.” He purred, smiling that teasing wide Cheshire, that made Edge spark crimson. He lowered his eyelights, before he turned his head back up to the sky, “You’re just a bit more persuasive than he is.”

“I don’t think so. I don’t think I’m very persuasive at all.”

“Sounds like something a persuasive person would say.”

They had stayed out for a while, the pair talked in sweet, gentle quiet, just below the birds, the pair watched the clouds until the clouds blended into the night sky. Edge was the first to stand up. Sans had been sluggish about it, sighing out of laze, but he didn’t have to walk. In peaceful quiet, Edge slowly hefted Sans up into his arms, and carried the sluggish skeleton across the meadow, down the drop, and through the path. The gentleness of it, Sans noted tiredly, felt almost heavenly.

Coming closer to the mansion, Sans realized how cold the night air had gotten, and how inviting the orange porch-lights looked now. He yearned for the warmth from the inside of the mansion, he saw a fire flickering in the sitting room off to the side of the foyer from within. A familiar short figure moving around from within it.

Sans shivered out of mortal habit to a chill that swept across him, Edge seemed unbothered, but he noticed, easily, the discomfort of Sans. “Cold?”

Sans nodded, breathing hot air into his hands. He wish he’d brought gloves. “Yeah… I’ll be fine. The mansion’s looking warm.” He looked hopefully to the porch, and the grand front door, and he sighed with relief the quicker Edge’s steps became. “Red’s moving about.” Sans pointed towards the window where Red’s figure was slumped over the fireplace, stoking the fires.

“An occasion.” Edge growled, quirking his brow. Sans lightly smacked the back of his hand against Edge’s shoulder. “Be nice.” He warned. Edge lowered his head, casting his eyelights sideways, the opposite of Sans’s direction.

“Apologies.” He didn’t seem sincere. He had this snicker about him, a grin.

Sans made sure he didn’t let up the scolding stare.

After his calm night spent with Red, and now such a lovely afternoon, he was convinced that, deep down, both the vampires just needed a bit of healing, especially when their emotions were concerned. Healed from what, exactly, Sans had yet to fully understand.

Edge climbed up the stairs of the front porch, pushing open the door where Red had opened it for them. Neither brother greeted each other, Sans was the only one to say a hello, of which Red took warmly, and returned.

“Edge, put me down at the fireplace.” Sans was already scrambling to be let go of, which Edge allowed reluctantly, silent.

Sans smiled at Red as he passed, before stepping into the sitting room and plopping down in front of the fireplace, purring as he finally felt the warmth, compared to the chill outside, this was bliss.

A familiar meow echoed in the room, and Sans called for his cat, who was at his side almost instantly, brushing up against his side, and then sitting in his lap.  
“Give me attention too, you neglected me all day!” Red puffed, grumbling as he propped his chin up onto Sans shoulder.

“Aw, boo-hoo, neglected baby.” Sans snickered as he pressed Red away, and curled him into his lap instead, head pressed against Fellow’s. “I would have loved it if you had joined us.”

“I wouldn’t.” Edge growled from beside Sans, who quickly elbowed him harshly, quickly snapping back, “be nice,” with a much harsher tone than before. Edge remained silent, meeting Sans’s eyes before turning towards the fire with an obvious flush.

“I would have loved for you to come along. We cloud watched.”

“Sounds boring.”

“I thought you liked sitting around doing boring things.”

“I do.” Red grinned, gently tilting his head to press against a warm belly Sans hadn’t even summoned, but the thought was there, the feeling of it. Red seemed at peace now, too. Sans smiled, before he turned to Edge.

“Edge?” He prompted, making the taller skeleton turn to him quietly, looking about as defiant as a scolded child who hadn’t learned his lesson. Sans quirked his brow. “Would you like to also curl up in my lap and pretend you’re a cat, like Red?”

Red snickered, letting out a deep, fried voice, “meow” as he gave Edge a testing glance. Edge seemed to tense, glaring down at his brother, before giving a softer glare to Sans, before he scoffed and slammed his head into Sans’s chest, knocking the wind out of the smaller skeleton, sending him backward, where Edge settled on his chest, sending back that same testing glare to Red, their glares matched for a moment before Edge looked to Sans, who couldn’t catch his breath as he laughed.  
“Goddammit, warn me!”

Fellow let out a loud yowl, harshly patting at Edge’s head with soft but authoritative paws, the skeleton flinching, and Fellow took a close place next to her owner’s neck. She growled loudly before she calmed and laid down her head on Sans’s chin. Sans purred at the affection and protectiveness of his cat. “Fellow-wellow.” He purred softly, pressing a soft bunch of kisses to the black molly-cat’s head, before laying back down and smirking. “I think Fellow has both of you beat is my favorites department.”

“I’m fine with that.” Red snickered softly, Edge remained silent.

The fire crackled at Sans’s feet, and at the time, Sans decided confrontation could wait.


	8. Accusatory Bastard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edge and Red treat Sans to a trip back to town. His independence is in his hands, but at what cost?

Sans peeked out the window at the snow outside, blinking with a childlike wonder, as if this were his first snow, even when every winter of his life was powdered in snow, a breeze whispered powdery fluff across the landscape, and Sans felt that childlike wonder turn to excitement. Maybe it was the warm, fuzzy feeling his thralldom glowed up in his chest at times.

Edge had made sweet rolls, dipped in honey, poured over with powdered sugar and cinnamon, for the morning’s breakfast. Sans had his fill, his sweet tooth was left satisfied for now, and still, for an hour or so, he finally got around to writing. He wrote beside the window, his quill was quick, easy, words came easily to him, and this time, it made sense.

_As I wander, O I wonder, _  
_Dark and dreadful, O’ your eyes, I ponder, _  
_What goes on up there, O’ candied apple eye, _  
_Strained in strawberry, O’ soft milky red dye, _  
_Dear do I fear, O’ what hell you’ve seen, _  
_Was it grotesque, O’ or was it clean, _  
_I wonder what, O’ dear you wonder too, _  
_What I’ve seen, O’ it’s completely blue. _  
_Soft like a cat, O’ or like a mother’s hand _  
_I’ve been pampered, O’ and fanned, _  
_But you, O dear I fear, _  
_What have you seen, O’ far from here? _________________________

________________________Sans’s hand kept moving, that was the first he’d finished, but he had written three whole more. Out of the corner of his eye, finishing the last one, the fourth, he could see Edge standing, leaning against the doorframe. Blurry with Sans’s view, it was only until he could look up that he could see the wince on Edge’s face._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“Would you like to go out to town?” Edge asked, almost as if it pained him to ask._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“You seem reluctant.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________Edge looked away, lowering his head like a scolded puppy who was caught dragging out the socks from the drawer. Sans figured it was the thought of losing a thrall, a food source. He wanted to believe something more, in the back of his head that thought mingled with something warm, but he shot that away vehemently. He crossed his arms. “I’d like that, but considering such a face like that, I don’t think you want me to.” He turned away, kind of hurt, looking down at his poems._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“No, no, I insist, come with me.” Edge spoke with more authority now, like he had convinced himself, and now was going to argue it like a warlord. “Red’s going too…”  
Sans’s assessment of the look Edge was giving him, told him that this wasn’t coming out of pity or obligation, but fright and care._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________Fright?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________Ah yes, it was fright, fear, that was pining for a spot in the way Edge was looking at him, his ever quaking eyelights, staring over him with intent, was a give-away. But what spooked Sans most, was the look of defeat in Edge’s motions, the clutching of his hands against his arms, the tenseness in his ribcage, each breath seeming labored._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________Sans looked down, before he sat up and held his papers close to his chest, quill left behind on a tray beside the chair. “If you insist. I suppose I need to prove I’ve been writing here, after all.” He gave a gentle, reassuring smile to Edge, who finally seemed to slack his figure, a sigh on his teeth as he turned. “We’ll be waiting for you in the foyer. Grab a coat, it’s cold out.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“No shit.” Sans laughed lightly as he brushed past Edge, and bound up the stairs. Fellow had been sleeping near the fireplace with Doomfanger all night, and lazed about on a plush pillow all day, so he didn’t think she’d get into trouble while he was out. Both cats only moved to get food, water, and be let out to do their business, coming right back in for warmth only minutes after._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________Sans wrapped himself up in wool. This was probably the first time he’s worn pants, he needed to look presentable out there, anyway. Thought he had enjoyed the dresses, it would have an odd sight to the townsfolk, seeing him in a fluffy gown._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________He wore the same pair of pants he had arrived to the mansion in, pluming at his knees, and tucked into a pair of boots, fur lining the hem of the boots. He put on a pluming dress-coat as a shirt, a cravat on the neck that fell mid-chest, and bell sleeves that reeked of a class he’d never even touched. He covered himself with a woolen cloak, blue exterior that turned to white wool on the interior, insulating his warmth. He made sure his neck was covered, more then enough to hide his bite mark._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________He felt cozy as he slowly stepped down the stairs, the dull heels of his boots clunking against the hardwood. “Good morning.” He heard Red call to him in a warm, teasing coo, and Sans looked up with a scolding smile, and gently parroting it back to him. Edge was quiet as he opened the door, ready to go already, his foot tapped quietly on the wooden floor.  
Red gently brushed against Sans as they walked together, and Edge followed as they left the door. Red had this grin about him as he looked up to the sky, where sparse flakes of snow fell from. “Last place we lived didn’t ever have this much snow, didn’t it, Edge?” He looked back to his brother, who stood tall, keeping his eyes forwards as if he were uninterested._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“I don’t believe so.” He replied flatly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________Red’s grin faltered slightly, before he looked forwards._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________Sans, eager to keep himself jovial, he was outside, he was proving he was alive to the town, he should be jovial indeed, piped up, turning to Red, “Where did you used to live?”  
Red seemed happy to answer, his grin grew back to a sharp, giddy thing, “A place far away from here, of course. It was across the ocean, wasn’t it?” He thought about it, “In the East.” He grinned. “Not far East…” He seemed to think about it again, and his grin faltered as he tried to remember._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“You have the memory of a goldfish.” Edge grumbled as he caught up to the pair, “We used to live in a fishing villiage by the sea, across from this continent.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________Sans hadn’t ever left this part of the continent, the circle had held three cities, and he lived in one of them, visited the second on occasion, and only knew the third from vacations he’d take with his mother and brother when he was just older than a babybones. “Sounds nice.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“Not really. The salt and the fish smell gets to you after a while. You can only live on it for so long.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“So long until the pretty sirens start to temp you to the crags.” Red seemed to sing as he remembered whatever sirens he’d seen across the sea. “That was before we’d decided to take on any thralls. It was just us, and Muffet, of course.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________Edge looked up thoughtfully, “at the time Muffet lived in the forest, because she couldn’t stand the smell of the fish.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________Sans smiled, this was good, this was conversation. Red didn’t even seem to hear the comment about his memory._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“Oh yeah! She’s hunt deer, and when she had leftovers, she’d put the corpses on trees to scare the locals. Oh, you should have seen their faces!” Red cackled._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________Sans laughed along with him, “Sounds like you three are prone to causing mischief.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“Only those two.” Edge corrected. “You enable it.” Red grinned up at his brother. “How can I stop it?” Edge glared back, but there was no malice, and Sans was elated at that.  
Red grinned, “You don’t.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________Sans let out a burst of a laugh, covering his mouth, before he buried his face into the wool of his hood, smiling softly as he evaded eye contact by keeping cast downwards. He didn’t say anything, but by the way Red looked away, his face visibly more namesake. Glancing up, Edge was doing the same._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“I like when you two pleasant talk. It’s always nice.” He purred, crossing his arms with some triumph. The walk was quiet afterwards, only broken by Red sometimes breaking into snickering fits, which Sans sometimes had to elbow him for if he wasn’t doing it himself._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________Edge was looking away with some crimson pigment dancing on the his sharp cheekbones._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________Sans slipped sometimes during the walk. Ice on the ground from puddles on the path were doing a number on his ankles, and in the occasions, neither vampire could catch him, his rear end too. By the end of the walk, they’d learned to expect him to slip, so by the last stretch, he had no more falls, only dismounts off his feed into the arms of one or both vampires._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________Sans could just feel the eyes when he was within the town gates. Even the shadow of the cathedral seemed to stare down at him, and he sighed slowly. Edge had gone off to do his own thing, looking for supplies on his own, he described himself as having a particular way of doing things. Sans assumed he was going to the meat market. Alone, was something Sans assumed had to do with Edge’s sense of the meat, the blood, connecting with Sans’s enthrallment._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________That left Sans with Red, who he felt more comfortable straying away from. Red didn’t seem to mind it much at all, but Sans could just barely catch Red’s watching glances. Sans bought a bit of oil paints, to use to decorate his parchments as he writes. Words were boring, but words with colors were exciting. As well as that, he dropped off his written pieces to be copied and printed. Sans carried his paints with a smile, trying his best to act like he hadn’t even been missing at all, just on a trip, just returning home, and running a few errands._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“Sans!” That voice sent a chill down the blue-tinted skeleton’s spine, and he sat his shopping down on instinct, spinning around and accepting the crashing hug, a force sending him backward and up into the air, wrapping his arms around his brother’s neck with a loud, “Papyrus!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________Elation, yeah, that’s the word. He could almost forget his entire vocabulary in the bright, raw excitement of his brother’s presence._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“Where were you, I was so worried!” Papyrus’s voice was high pitched, but low in accordance to not disturb the others around them._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“Didn’t you get my letter? I said I was going out of town for higher quality supplies.” Sans found that the lies tasted good on his tongue, sweeter than last time, as if he’d believed it now, and he found that he’d become comfortable with lying._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“I did, but Undyne, god, you should have seen the way she talked and stalked, it was like she didn’t believe it.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________________________She knows the truth. She did spare him from it… ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________Sans felt relieved that Undyne wouldn’t harm Papyrus just to sate her agenda, he found it almost sweet. He smiled up at his brother, “Well, I was… I’m so sorry it was on such short notice, I ran out of those supplies quicker then I thought, and I just got desperate for them…” That lie was shakier then the last one, and he tensed his jaw, begging any god, any at all, to not let Papyrus see it._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________“It’s alright, just please make sure I know beforehand! I was worried almost to death!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________Sans laughed lightly as he hugged his brother, “I know, I will, I promise.” He gave a tight hug to his brother’s neck, and Papyrus returned with plenty more energy than Sans could ever muster._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________“So, did you just return?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________________________Oh, Papyrus, you’re gonna tell me to rest, aren’t you…? ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________“Yeah, I did. I was just getting some oil paints.” Sans gestured to his bag of paints, which lay neglected at Papyrus’s feet._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________“Oh, well, I’m glad I caught you. If you need to rest, I’ll let you go.” Papyrus smiled softly to Sans, his sincerity made Sans’s soul tighten. It was truly a wonder to see Papyrus’s open adoration and tenderheartedness. It almost made Sans cry if he hadn’t grown used to that smile from half-way raising it._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________“It’s fine Papyrus, I promise.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________“I insist you rest. I was just stopping in to get a new pen and another class starts soon, so I need to go, but I’ll write to you later, I promise.” Papyrus smiled brightly. Compared to the gray above them, the white snow, the darkening moss, and the wood of the buildings around them, Papyrus was the sun. A sparkling, shiny orange-yellow that Sans was so fond of it hurt._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________“If you insist. Hope your classes treat you well.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________Papyrus snickered as he gently brushed past his brother, “You know they always do. Sleep well, Sans, let’s meet on Monday for dinner!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________“Sounds great!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________And with a quick wave, Papyrus was padding across the town courtyard, and Sans felt his chest tighten as he went, he smiled as he picked his bag back up, and turned to Red, who was staring at him with a curious smirk on his face. Sans smiled lightly, as he returned to Red’s side. “I can see why he means so much to you. Cheerful compared to everything else in this drab old place.” Red looked around dismissively._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________“He’s sunny, he always has been.” Sans thought aloud, a wistful tone in his voice. He remembered when Papyrus was little and he would wear nothing but bright colors, contrasted starkly to the gray of the world he’d been raised in. Sans supposed he’d followed only slightly, the blues of his clothes were much lighter than his surroundings, but he still stood in the crowds, blending in muddily. Papyrus though, no, he was never confined to crowds. He made his own way, he made obstacles only to overcome them with leaps and bounds. Though sometimes endearingly ditsy, Papyrus was always one step ahead of Sans in pretty much everything. Sans was proud of him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________He smiled as he looked down. “You think Edge would mind me going out to dinner with Pap?” Sans asked nervously, glancing up at Red through nervous half-lid sockets.  
Red shrugged, “Probably not, he’d just be stalking you though.” Red gave him a knowing look, before he turned his head abruptly, “C’mon, Edge is over there.” Red tugged at Sans’s sleeve, with a gentleness that made Sans feel warm, and he followed beside him with a slow, watchful gait. He was suddenly aware, once again of the eyes on him, and damn was it strange._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________Attention was usual, but never this haunting. “I think I should take the path that leads to my home,” he whispered to Red and Edge as they all came into ear shot of each other.  
“Pardon?” Edge asked, seeming taken aback._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________“I should go down the road I take home. It will look better than coming and leaving with you, it’ll look suspicious, even more so if Undyne gets an ear of it.” He explained quickly, hushed to keep any prying ears from hearing him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________Edge thought about it for a moment, and than he nodded, and took a step back. “Where will we meet back?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________“There’s a bridge that leads into my property, over the river. I’ll meet you there and you can take me back.” Sans explained. It felt bitter in his mouth, like cough medicine.  
Edge nodded, “Alright.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________Sans turned his heel, putting on his act like a showmen, “It was nice meeting you. Meet again soon?” He tilted his head with a soft smile, any casual politeness shared between new acquaintances._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________Edge fidgeted, as if he was unused to this. Having put on an act of mortality for so many years, Sans would have assumed he’d know how to act with him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________Turns out he did, he gave a charming, but cold smile, “Soon, of course.” He nodded, dazzling, and Red only followed, grinning as he bowed his head, silent. Edge turned on his heels to his side, “Farewell, hope you’re treated well.” Edge spoke highly, abruptly, and Sans was jarred, before he nodded, and turned too, “and you as well.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________They parted ways with acquainted eyes, smiles, before fading as they walked in the opposite direction of one another. Sans made a warm nod to a shopkeeper he’d been friendly with before. She seemed to lighten, her rabbit-like face turning up in a puffy smile, long ears draped over her shoulders. She cooed to him a good morning, pleasant weather we’re having, and a goodbye as he shared in her world for just a moment. Passing with a smile, he went on._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________No more warm smiles or greeting met his face, only suspicious eyes, wary nods, and Sans began to feel himself shrink. Disappear into his blue, woolen coat._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________He passed the gates of the town square, and was jolted with surprise at the sight of Undyne standing in the road, her muddy tall boots sunk into the beaten, mushy snow.  
“Those beasts finally set you loose?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________“I left on my own accord.” A lie that left his false throat feeling weightless. He balled his fists underneath his cape. “Like a guest may.” He glared up at her. She spurred one right back at him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________“I don’t think so.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________“Why not?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________“It’s all too convenient.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________“Perhaps to you. Perhaps to the town. You accused me of being a witch too, mind you.” He growled, voice becoming high-pitched as he straightened his spine. “And I was-” “You were wrong!” He cut her off. “You were wrong.” He repeated it to bite back his curses. He tensed his form, raising his hand to his front, and he held them close to his belly.  
“And I know I was-” “So what makes you think you’re still right now?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________“Let me say I’m sorry!” Undyne growled. Sans had enough pettiness left in him to spit at her feet, ‘ _fuck all to your apology _’, but he didn’t. Doing that would get back to Papyrus, and then what kind of brother would he be? He held himself straight, quiet, as Undyne took a step towards him. He took a step back. She stopped.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“I’m sorry for accusing you of witchcraft. I know now that it was wrong.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“Wrong?” Sans felt anger perk up ugly blue in the rims of his sockets. “My life was threatened! Do you know how many eyes still look at me like I’m going to sacrifice their unborn baby? How I have to keep a sharp eye on my cat, my companion, to make sure somebody doesn’t p-poison her?” He felt his voice become raw, he stuttered. Merely mentioning it made his body feel white-hot with anger. Papyrus had only caught wind of that occasion once, he'd offered to take Fellow to keep her safe, but Sans had declined the offer. He built a white iron fence around his yard instead, and he stayed home more often. Soon, the threat died down, but suspicion was still quite the killer._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________Undyne stood rigid, as if she hadn’t expected this._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________Sans couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt his legs become shaky with anger. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d cried out of anger. He sure as hell wasn’t going to do so in front of Undyne now._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“I have nothing against you Undyne. You’re the reason my brother is where he is right now.” He spoke as calmly as his shaky voice could manage. “But I will never, ever forget what you’ve done. To my safety, or to the safety of those other two.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________She clenched her jaw, and she turned away. “I know…” was her only response._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________Sans scoffed. That was her only response. _Painful _. That was the word to describe the way his soul beat in his chest. He began to walk, but he made sure to have a wide radius of avoidance around Undyne. “Did you talk to Papyrus?” She asked lowly.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________“We’re meeting for dinner on Monday.” He replied hollowly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________“Okay.” She hardened her stance, and walked past Sans in a way that made him feel uneasy. “Don’t hurt his feelings.” He mumbled._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________“I won’t. He’ll be no part of this.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________________________________Of this _. Sans tightened his jaw, and he continued to walk. She was planning something. What it was, haunted him.__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________He met Edge at the bridge, and the second he saw that tall, dark figure standing at the highest most part of the arching wooden overpass, he felt comfort. He felt enough comfort to wipe his eyes and let out a shaky sigh. A startled breath escaped Edge’s teeth and he kneeled down to Sans’s height, offering his hands. “What happened?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________“It’s Undyne…” Sans snapped his mouth shut before he could sob, and he instead let out a shaky sigh, lowering his head. He gently placed his hands into the warm, comforting cup of Edge’s own. Edge clasped their hands together as he tilted his head, eyes prying to find Sans’s emotions, find his words._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________“She’s planning something, I fucking know she is.” Sans gasped, shaking, and Edge gently drew his hands up Sans’s arms, standing up slowly. He clasped his teeth shut, offering a gentle, knowing squeeze of his hands. “We’ll be safe.” Edge whispered lightly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________Sans shook his head, “What about Papyrus…?” He whispered worriedly, his hands shook violently as he thought aloud, “What if she fills his head with threats, what if she brings him in and makes him… _aggressive _…”___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________________________________Aggressive _was never a word to describe Papyrus, definitely not a word Sans had ever thought of him. No, it was always the opposite. Sans shook to his soul with the thought that ‘aggressive’ would come to be a word Sans would have to force down his own throat to describe his beloved and sweet little brother. He panicked in the moment, letting out an exclamation, before he ripped his hand away from Edge and covered his mouth tearing backward as if he intended to dart down the path once more, “I have to get to him!”  
Edge lurched forwards, taking a gentle grasp of Sans’s shoulders, “Sans-” he had used Sans’s name incredibly rarely, but when he did Sans always knew he was being serious. Sans could feel his face warm, sockets growing sticky in his skull, as he looked to Edge with agitated breath. __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________________“If she goes to anybody, she goes to the church and the hunters. If worse comes to worst, your brother will be joining you.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________________Oh, Sans knew what that meant, and he felt his ribs tighten, before he lowered his head, and slowly nodded, gently fidgeting against Edge, who gently brushed his hands soothingly against Sans’s head._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________________“You…” Sans hesitated for a moment., “you’ll keep me… and him… safe, won’t you…?” Sans lowered his head, embarrassed, his breath shivering out of him. Edge, without hesitation, replied, “of course.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________________For comfort, sure to god only comfort, Sans wrapped his arms around Edge’s neck, currying his head into the curve between his arm and Edge’s neck. Edge flinched, his throat tightened for a moment, before he gently lay his hands onto Sans’s back, tightening up as he sighed slowly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________________“I wouldn’t let anything happen to you. That’s my duty.” Edge sounded so confident, growling into the air as he gently pressed a hand against the back of Sans’s head. Sans sighed slowly, hands balling the soft red material, the satin of Edge’s cape, into his fists. “You may be my thrall,” Edge whispered gently, brushing his hand up Sans’s shoulder as he slowly took Sans’s hands in his own and gently led him down the path once more. “But I think of you as more to me now, too.” Edge’s voice was softer than Sans had ever heard of him, even the sharpness of his voice was dulled, tender._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________________Sans felt his soul flutter, clutching his hands into Edge’s, and he slowly brushed against Edge’s body, the larger skeleton picking him up and carrying him bridal in his arms.  
Sans didn’t remember being carried home, only that he was picked up and carried like a sobbing bride, holding his head in his hand, while the other clutched at Edge’s sleeve. He did not sob, however, oh no, he was smiling. A melancholy smile, it was, but a smile._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________________Sans’s memory soon faded back into place, laying in bed on his back, watching the ceiling shift with shadows as his candles flickered slowly in the corners of his sight. He drifted his eyesight sideways, to the right. Fellow was curled up on a pillow, his black body heaving slowly with her breath, purring quietly in her sleep._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________________To his left, as his skull drifted slowly with his movements, he watched Edge stand still, in silence, watching through the window with the curtain parted elegantly around his hand.  
Edge’s face was illuminated lightly with silver, the moonlight, a slim crescent in the sky, still let off just a bit of light, enough to silhouette Edge’s form almost angelically. Sans blinked slowly, staring at his form, tracing his outline, as he turned onto his side, propping his head onto his arms. Edge glanced to him, blinked as if to question him in silence. Sans blinked back, before he asked in a crackling, sleepy voice, “what’s going on up there?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________________Edge seemed to be confused for a moment, but he didn’t move, before he opened his mouth in an “oh” and slowly turned. “I’m planning.” He nodded to himself self-assuredly, before he looked back out again, tilting his head. “I think I’ll host a party.” Edge nodded. Sans lifted his head up, flushing as he widened his eyes, “What do you mean?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________________“Exactly what you think I mean. Host a party, a big one at that, too.” Edge grinned at Sans with some sort of wild look in his eyes. “Yes, then that bastard can’t continue to accuse us, because then we won’t be a mystery anymore.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________________“Don’t you think that’s a bit dangerous? Especially with Muffet?” Sans asked, eyes wide with fright at the look in Edge’s eyelights, but Edge seemed so sure._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________________“Perhaps, but I can just lock the doors of the library to keep her in, and visitors out. Claim it's a bedroom. I wouldn’t be necessarily lying.” Edge smirked as he sat down at the end of the bed, the curtains fell over his head. Sans watched him intently._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________________“Are you sure?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________________“Yes, It’ll just be a big party for a short time, two hours at most. I’ll bake and cook somethings big, and pay some time to play music, servers, guards, I’ll even-” “Edge.” Sans cut him off quickly, gently taking his shoulder in his hand as he propped himself up onto his knees. Edge looked to Sans with a confused blink._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________________“If you think too quickly about this, you’ll botch it. Be careful, take your time to think about it. Don’t rush. I know you’re good at that.” Sans gently advised, smiling up at Edge with enough of some sort of convincing that Edge slowly nodded._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________________Edge sighed, “You’re right.” He smirked gently and stood up as he brushed his hand against Sans’s own. “You should get some sleep.” Edge gently pressed Sans down, resting his head against a pillow. Sans smiled up at him, curling onto his side. “I can stay up with you if you want me to. I really wouldn’t mind it.” He murmured, but Edge was already draping a blanket over his hip. “No, I insist. Sleep now, little bird. Seeing you all groggy and undead would make me feel guilty.” Edge smiled gently, brushing his hands across the curtains as he drew them closed. “Goodnight, bird.” Edge whispered, gently scratched Fellow’s head as he leaned over Sans. Sans laughed gently, bringing the blankets over his shoulder and curling up his body._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________________“Goodnight, Edge,” Sans whispered, closing his eyes as he felt Edge leave the side of his bed, shutting his bed curtains tight, then the window curtains. Finally, the curtains were cast dark. Sans fell asleep quick, warmed up by the thoughts of being safe._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


End file.
